Love's A Beautiful Battlefield
by Mrs Carmichael
Summary: Rewrite of A Bolt From The Blue of ten years plus ago. Rachel and Eddie have overcome more obstacles than most to get to the current standing point in their relationship. However, when they face the biggest one of all, Rachel wants out. Will Eddie succeed in convincing her that their love is worth fighting for?
1. The Ultimate Gift

_Hello all! So, I'm back amongst the WR fandom again because its addition to iPlayer sparked off not only a desire to rewatch, but also a desire to pick my pen up again and write for my Waterloo Road OTP._

_This story may be familiar to some of you, as it is a rewrite of one I started and left unfinished maybe ten years ago. I have used my creative licence to change a few things so some events differ from what happened in the actual series. Having become thoroughly confused by the timing of the school terms at Waterloo Road during planning, I've decided that this story starts about two weeks before the end of the summer term (for all I know, that might be where we're meant to assume Series Four, Spring Term ends, but I'm not taking any chances there) so everything aside from the split and Rachel and Eddie going public has already happened. I've only changed one thing from the series itself, which will become apparent in the opening paragraph._

_Also, I probably don't need to say this but I will do anyway. I do not own the majority of the characters I intend to write about in this story. I'm merely borrowing them because I have a habit of playing with things that don't belong to me!_

_Hope you all enjoy and finally, this is for the Reddie stans on Twitter, you know who you are :)_

_x_

* * *

**Love's A Beautiful Battlefield**

**Summary: Rachel and Eddie have overcome more obstacles than most to get to the current standing point in their relationship. However, when they face the biggest one of all, Rachel wants out. Will Eddie succeed in convincing her that their love is worth fighting for?**

**Chapter One: The Greatest Gift**

For five minutes, Rachel Mason paced the tiled floor of her en-suite before picking up the pregnancy test she'd abandoned after doing it. As suspected, the word pregnant blinked up at her. Rachel's first thought was of Eddie and breaking the news to him. With their relationship still being comparatively new, she wondered whether they were ready for such a big step. It had only been six weeks since they'd first slept together, after all. Eddie had done it all before but this was a massive deal for her; with every year that passed, Rachel resigned herself more and more to never having a child of her own. Now she was pregnant, she wanted the baby and planned on seeing the pregnancy through, with or without Eddie's support.

Rachel hid the completed test in her bathroom cabinet before taking a glass from the shelf and filling it with water. She drank half then tipped the rest down the sink. As Rachel glanced at her reflection in the mirror, she pondered the current situation; she'd thought they'd taken precautions each time, but there had obviously been a slip-up somewhere for this to have happened. Then, it came to her, their first night together after bowling. That night, they'd both gotten swept up in an avalanche of passion, not giving a second thought to the potential repercussions. Her out-of-character actions had however, yielded the ultimate gift, something she wouldn't throw away now.

Rachel returned to her bedroom a few moments later, pulling on the blazer that hung on the wardrobe door. Her thoughts returned to Eddie as she wondered how to broach the subject with him, Rachel would figure it out, he wasn't back until that evening. On that note, her phone rang out from the bedside table; upon retrieving it, she smiled as her partner's name flashed up on screen.

Rachel didn't get to utter a greeting before Eddie spoke. _"If this is your elaborate way of telling me you wanted rid, you only needed to say, instead of sending me on this damn course."_

She laughed as, for the time being, Eddie's words eased her internal worries about the pregnancy. "I don't like these courses anymore than you do Eddie," she replied, placating him. "Anyway, at least it gave you a chance to see Michael and catch up with Alison. How did dinner go?"

Eddie's course didn't start until later that morning but Alison rang earlier in the week, asking if they could meet for dinner sometime. He'd been reluctant to go but Rachel's encouragement convinced him it was the right thing to do.

Eddie's non-committal grunt didn't bode well, "that bad, huh?"

_"Yes and no, I mean, it was nice to see Michael again but Alison's latest bombshell took the shine off it somewhat though."_

Rachel rolled her eyes in response as a sense of foreboding crept over her, "what's happened now?"

Eddie paused before responding, Rachel heard tannoy noises in the background. _"I'll tell you tonight Rach, my stop's next. Just wanted to catch you before school, I wanted to hear your voice."_

At his words, a soft smile creased Rachel's face, her response took her by surprise, "I miss you,"

In the short space of time they'd been together, Eddie had changed so much in Rachel's life, not least her ability to admit to her weaknesses. She didn't have many friends, so it was Eddie she confided in the most, and he returned the favour. Within those first few weeks, he'd told her about Michael and his deceased son, Stephen later on, Rachel allowed him to help get Stuart Hordley off her back. Rachel hated keeping secrets from Eddie, so keeping the pregnancy quiet felt excruciating, but necessary, for she wished to tell him face-to-face.

_"Same here, I'll see you tonight,"_ Eddie responded.

"Looking forward to it,"

_"Have a good day,"_

"You too, see you later,"

_"Bye Rach,"_

At that moment, Rachel ended the call. She started dwelling upon Eddie's words and how unsettled he seemed about Alison's latest bombshell. Whatever it was, he'd appeared unwilling to share on the phone, so Rachel sensed that it was bad news. Then, she realised that her pregnancy may not be the most important point of discussion that night. This all added to Rachel's unease about the day ahead, she wanted it done as soon as possible; with Eddie absent, it meant no distraction from the paperwork she'd sometimes neglect with him around. How he'd managed without her a few weeks beforehand, she didn't know and wished she'd asked before he went the previous evening. The prospect of an Eddie free school-day wasn't one she relished. Still, she would see him that night so Rachel clung to that thought as she finished readying herself for the day ahead.

* * *

"Did you want a lift into school Phillip?" Rachel called out from the living as she scooped some files from the coffee table.

"Yes please, thanks Rach," he called back from the kitchen.

"Not a problem," she said, a warm smile crossing her face as she joined Phillip in the kitchen. "Are you still out with Bolton and Paul tonight?"

Phillip nodded, he had a mouthful of cornflakes and therefore, deemed a verbal response inappropriate. "Why do you ask?" he asked after swallowing.

Silence fell as Rachel wondered whether to be honest, "me and Eddie just have some stuff we need to talk about," she responded, being deliberately vague with the details.

Phillip glanced at her, despite never being in a relationship himself, he understood that that was what someone would say at the end. "Are you guys OK?"

At that moment, Rachel's hand reached for her stomach, cradling it. "Yeah, we will be," she said, placating the other most important man in her life. "I should ask you that question, it must've been a shock, us getting together so soon after him and your mother…"

"Honestly Rach, it's fine. Mum doesn't deserve him anyway, not now."

Silence fell once more, no reply sprung to mind for Rachel, Phillip was right. Melissa looked her dead in the eye and lied about everything; not just her though, she'd lied to Eddie everyday they'd been together. Rachel hated thinking about what might have happened if Phillip hadn't come to her and forced Melissa's hand. Even in their younger years, Melissa displayed those selfish tendencies and Rachel hoped that adulthood would change her for the better, but it didn't. She didn't understand why Melissa chose not to confide in her about any of this; they'd never been close, but the gulf between them had never been this big and Rachel wasn't sure she had the energy to rebuild those bridges. She was tired of constantly picking up the pieces. For the time being though, her priorities laid elsewhere; Phillip was her priority. Melissa's sudden disappearing act affected him most out of the three of them. True, it had affected both Rachel and Eddie too but in the aftermath, they'd found each other, neither could be unhappy about that.

With breakfast over and done with, Phillip disappeared upstairs to get his books together for that's day's lessons. Without the distraction he provided, Rachel once again dwelled upon her unexpected pregnancy, and how Eddie would take the news. She wished they'd been able to discuss it before school but it wasn't to be. It would no doubt have saved her spending most of the day in a mild state of panic in case he took it badly. Deep down however, Rachel knew Eddie wasn't like that; they'd solve this, just like every obstacle they'd overcome so far. Neither had said the words, but him choosing her over Melissa was enough to make Rachel realise how he felt. It was enough, for now.

Phillip soon bounded down the stairs, shouldering his backpack and thus, pulling Rachel back to the present. "Roll on 3:15," she muttered under her breath as she gathered together her own things before following Phillip out of the door.

* * *

_I'm honestly so scared stiff about posting this because I've read so much good fic in the past couple of weeks, I don't know how mine compares anymore! Let me know anyway._

_x_


	2. The Absence of Eddie

_To all of my awesome readers/reviewers, thank you so much for reading/commenting on my first chapter, they don't go unnoticed or unappreciated. Special thanks to Lynny for reviewing twice ;)_

_Sorry for taking so long to update again, be patient with me please, real-life gets in the way sometimes._

_Here's Chapter Two anyway, better late than never eh?_

_x_

* * *

**Chapter Two: The Absence Of Eddie**

"See you later Phillip, have a good day," Rachel called after her nephew as he got out.

"Thanks Rach,"

The young lad closed the passenger's door and Rachel watched as he joined a growing throng of schoolkids meandering towards the main entrance. Once she'd lost sight of her nephew, Rachel glanced at her reflection in the rear-view mirror before making some slight adjustments to her appearance. Upon realising she'd left the engine running, Rachel took the keys out and the humming died away. A few moments later, she got out, retrieving her handbag from the footwell behind her seat, along with her laptop and other essentials from the boot. Unlike the previous four days, there was a definite spring in Rachel's step as she headed towards the school after locking the car. With every minute that passed that day, she was a minute closer to being reunited with Eddie; it was obvious their relationship remained in its infancy, her frown soon turned upside down with a mere thought of him. "You seem chirpy," Steph noted, stepping out of her classroom as Rachel passed by.

Rachel, out of sight, rolled her eyes before turning to face the blonde, "just looking forward to the weekend, that's all."

Rachel walked away, hoping to shake Steph off, but she fell into step beside her boss, dashing Rachel's hopes. "I expected your mood to be worse today as Mr Lawson's attending that course in Manchester," Steph commented in a casual tone.

Rachel had been snappier than usual with her staff that week and blamed it on stress. However, she'd suspected since Monday that she might be pregnant and not even confided her suspicions to Eddie, even though the telltale signs were there. So, to cover up the real issue, she'd concocted the 'stress' story to keep the questions to a minimum. In doing so, it never occurred to Rachel that someone like Steph would stir the pot to get a rise from her. "Mr Lawson's absence has no bearing on my mood, Miss Haydock," she replied in as professional a manner as possible when they reached the top of the stairs. "Haven't you got things to attend to Steph? Because I know I have," she added, shaking Steph off as she moved towards her office.

Steph watched as Rachel pushed open the secretary's office door and let it swing closed behind her, convinced she wasn't being told everything. She, like all the other members of staff, had noted Rachel's mood swings over the previous four school days, but no-one questioned them, until now. They all bought Rachel's story but to Steph, it didn't add up. Rachel's change in mood that day puzzled the blonde. Surely she'd be more stressed out that day with Eddie being away on that course and only Kim available to her from the Senior Management Team? The exact nature of Rachel and Eddie's relationship remained a mystery, but it was one the wily blonde wanted to decipher herself.

Rachel hoped to derive some comfort from being in the office where she and Eddie had shared numerous intimate moments in the past few weeks. She'd been mistaken; the surroundings made her feel Eddie's absence even more than she thought possible. By this point, he'd usually have joined her, even if it was only for a quick kiss before he went into the playground to round up any latecomers. Rachel's gaze shifted between her desk and the coffee machine as she organised herself for the day ahead. While waiting for her laptop to load, Rachel's gaze caught the coffee machine once more, and she contemplated making one to wake her up. However, she vetoed the idea almost straightaway upon remembering that she hadn't even been able to drink the one Eddie made her the day before, now she understood why. Pregnancy was changing her already. After inputting her log-in details, Rachel glanced at the paperwork on her desk and stifled a yawn. All of this needed signing, posting or filing by close of play. Tonight of all nights, she didn't wish to stay on any later than necessary.

* * *

Without Eddie, Rachel started to realise she had no distraction from the constant stream of paperwork and because of this, her morning dragged. She'd expected it to, but not to this extent. Very early on, Rachel chastised herself for clock-watching; the day wouldn't disappear any quicker with her glancing up at the clock every five minutes. With only ten minutes until lunchtime, Rachel decided she needed a reprieve; she'd completed most of it so decided the rest could wait until after lunch. She stood up and strode out of her office seconds later, hoping the corridors threw up a distraction.

No such luck; no troublemakers and no absconders, this was becoming the norm for her tenure at Waterloo Road. As she did he rounds, Rachel avoided the Maths corridor, knowing her reason for venturing down there so often was not on the premises today. The highlight of any normal day recently had been her ventures down that corridor, where she hoped she'd catch Eddie's eye, and she missed it. At that point, Rachel wondered whether he ever realised how often she wandered the corridor and stood outside his classroom, watching as he taught, or tired to teach, their students. If he did, he deigned to mention it.

Whilst her absent Deputy occupied her thoughts, Rachel wandered the remaining corridors as if on auto-pilot. Only the school's receptionist, Monique, brought her back to reality. "Miss Mason!" the younger woman called, "I was about to bring these up to you but as you're here, you might as well take them yourself.

Rachel frowned in confusion as she approached; she glanced through the glass window as Monique reached for a big bunch of flowers and handed them to the head-teacher. "Someone's got a soft spot for you," she commented.

Rachel smiled at Monique's kind words, "I guess they have," she replied. "Thanks Monique."

There was only one person she could think of who'd spring this kind of gesture; Eddie. The thought made her smile; he had taste, Rachel acknowledged that as the flowers were gorgeous. As the lunch bell sounded however, the smile disappeared and a look of dismay replaced it. If the staff or, even worse, the students, saw her with these flowers, Rachel would face questions over the sender. Questions she had no desire to answer.

Attempting avoid the inevitable questions, Rachel tried retreating to her office but hadn't counted on Steph joining her as she too climbed the stairs. It was an unhappy coincidence that Steph had to climb the same flight of stairs to reach the staff-room. "Who are they from Rachel?" the blonde asked, having squashed her curiosity for long enough.

Rachel tried valiantly to suppress her smile before answering with a half-lie, "I don't know, haven't yet read the card."

Steph knew, for she flashed a knowing smile at the head-teacher before replying, "ooooh, there's a card, let's have a look."

"Steph!" Rachel chastised before beating a hasty retreat to her sanctuary.

With the office firmly closed, Rachel sank into her office chair, laying the flowers across her lap as she picked up the envelope. A small card inside bore five simple words. _Missed you. See you tonight x._

Oh Eddie.

Rachel's heart pounded, they were just words on a piece of card but she couldn't help how her body reacted to them. Her Eddie, so patient with her, allowing her to take things at her own pace and still finding time to make her feel so special too. Rachel loved him, of that she was certain. She wished she'd believed him on that first day of term when he'd told her so outside the pub. However, her own insecurities and lack of self-confidence had spoken for her that night. How Rachel wished she'd allowed Eddie the chance the prove her wrong.

In the immediate aftermath, Rachel regretted the haste with which she'd rebuffed Eddie. Her sense of regret heightened when he got involved with Melissa; she watched him lavish affection upon her sister and all the while, wondered whether his words that night had been genuine. Rachel knew, deep down, there was no reason to dwell upon that now, they were together and unbeknownst to Eddie, she was pregnant. It had taken them too long to make the leap from friends to lovers but now they had, Rachel wanted nothing and no-one to spoil it.

* * *

"Have you seen the Demon Head-teacher today?" Matt questioned as Steph entered the staff-room.

The staff picked up on Rachel's bad mood during Monday's briefing and the unaffectionate nickname had stuck ever since. Steph nodded, "she's not so demon-like today," she commented whilst making a beeline for the kettle, "I think she's got an admirer."

"How come?" Tom piped up.

Steph braced her hands on the kitchen unit, to stop herself jumping up and down with excitement. "I followed her up the stairs just now, she had a bouquet in her arms and a smile so wide she could eat a banana sideways,"

"And what were these flowers from?"

"It doesn't take a genius to work it out," Steph replied. Tom and Matt sported similarly vacant looks as the blonde rolled her eyes, "Eddie, of course!"

Tom and Matt glanced at each other, then roared with laughter, attracting attention from nearby colleagues. "We've heard your theory about those two so many times over the past few days and I'm bored, can we talk about something else?" Matt pleaded.

"Yeah, leave it out eh Steph? It's none of our business what they get up to," Tom chipped in.

"OK then," conceded Steph, "I'll drop it… if I don't have proof by Monday morning."

"And if you do?" Matt questioned wearily.

"You make my coffee every break and lunch-time for two weeks?"

"One?"

"Week and a half?" Steph compromised.

"Done, you'll lose out though," Matt replied.

Steph winked at him, "oh Matt, you underestimate me, I never lose a bet,"

At that point, Matt thought it best not to remind her that only last term, she lost money betting on Rachel and Eddie the first time round.

* * *

_Please keep the reviews coming guys, I love reading them._

_x_


	3. Sentimental Heart

_Hello guys, I'm back again!_

_Thank you so much for all the reviews, I'm thrilled you're enjoying this so far :D_

_Now, consider yourselves lucky, I didn't think I was going to get this chapter out as soon as I have done. Turns out, I didn't have quite as much to edit as I thought!_

_Hope you all enjoy!_

_x_

* * *

**Chapter Three: Sentimental Heart**

Rachel breathed an enormous sigh of relief as the bell sounded for the final time, bringing an end to the school day. She signed her name for what seemed like the hundredth time and sat back in her chair, glancing towards the clock. Three hours until Eddie's train arrived back in Rochdale, it seemed mad, they'd not even been apart twenty-four hours and yet, she missed him so much. The brief, yet enforced, separation had however, allowed Rachel the space to contextualise their relationship. She felt ready to take the next step, whatever that was.

Despite her certainties about their relationship, a sense of nervousness fluttered in the pit of Rachel's stomach at the thought of breaking her pregnancy news to Eddie. Most men she'd had relationships with fled at the slightest sign of commitment; she hoped her gut instinct was right and Eddie would be different.

Rachel glanced at the paperwork-strewn desk and tidied up as much as possible before picking up the pieces that needed filing. She strode across to the cabinet, filed them, then strode back to her desk. A few letters that needed posting, the office essentials and her laptop were all that remained on Rachel's desk. Joyce had sourced a vase for Eddie's flowers and they sat in the corner of her office; every time she looked up from her papers, she'd seen them and smiled.

As Rachel shut her laptop down for the day, she noticed a figure stood at the doorway in her peripheral vision. It was Phillip and a warm smile crossed Rachel's face as they made eye-contact, "how was your day?" she questioned.

"You sound like Mum when you say that," Phillip replied.

"Sorry, just interested, that's all,"

Phillip nodded before casting around for a change of subject, then he saw the flowers, "who sent those?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Phillip realised he may as well have saved his breath. The smile that tugged at Rachel's lips served as a dead giveaway. He knew of only one person who made his Aunt smile like that, "who do you think?"

When Phillip didn't answer, Rachel busied herself with putting her laptop away. Afterwards, she crossed the room, taking the flowers and wrapping them in that days' newspaper for the drive home. She shouldered her laptop bag first, then picked up her handbag and flowers before heading out. Phillip opened his mouth, thinking he should at least offer to carry something, anything, but decided against it. He stepped out beside her and Rachel locked the door before heading out of the office, their weekend started now.

* * *

Rachel wrapped a towel around herself upon emerging from the shower; her hair was damp, but not wet enough to justify taking a hairdryer to it, so she left it. Upon re-entering her bedroom, Rachel opened the wardrobe, then selected a pair of jeans and a casual white top. Satisfied with her choice, she returned to the bathroom to towel-dry herself and re-dress. Several minutes later, she emerged once more, fully clothed and glanced at the clock upon her bedside table. Rachel realised she needed to get a wriggle on so she picked up her phone, stashed it in her jeans pocket and headed out onto her landing.

"I'm now heading off to the station to meet Eddie," Rachel informed Phillip as she poked her head around the living room door, "I'll be back soon."

Phillip glanced briefly in her direction, "see you in a bit Rach,"

Rachel withdrew her head and picked up her car-keys from the sideboard. Eddie's flowers now sat in a vase beside her phone, so she would see them and remember his gesture whenever she returned in the next few days. She opened up the front door and stepped out onto the doorstep, closing and locking the door behind her. Rachel pushed the button to open her car doors and soon after getting in, the engine hummed into life. Moments later, she drove off. This time, she was not heading for Waterloo Road, her destination was Rochdale station, and Eddie.

* * *

Rachel glanced at the clock upon her car radio as she parked up. It was now 5:55, the minutes ticked by so much faster now compared to earlier that day. Just five more minutes, or however long it took for the train to arrive, until she could see Eddie again. As she wandered onto the platform, her thoughts returned to her pregnancy and how to broach it with Eddie. Rachel eventually decided playing it by ear was the best solution, she'd somehow steer the conversation towards her game-changing news. In Eddie, she'd confided things that no-one else knew about her, why would this be any different? She loved him and believed he deserved to know about their unborn child too.

A train horn sounded in the distance, pulling Rachel from her reverie so she moved closer to await the arriving train. Her heart pounded as she watched scores of suited city types disembark whilst waiting for one man who'd stick out like a sore thumb against that crowd. Moments later, Eddie stepped off the train, holdall in hand, his gaze searching for one person and his lips curved into the biggest smile upon spotting her. Rachel's gaze met his and her breath hitched in her throat as they stared each other down. As the gathered crowds thinned, Rachel moved forwards, pulling him into a tight embrace, reciprocated by Eddie. Upon pulling away, he fixed his gaze upon her, "I've missed you so much, Rach."

Rachel laughed and stood on her tiptoes, leaning her forehead against his, "same here," she murmured.

Eddie smiled before draping an arm over Rachel's shoulders, "did you get my flowers?" he questioned as they walked towards the car-park.

Rachel nodded, glancing up at him as they continued walking, "they are gorgeous Eddie, thank you," she replied, her eyes alight with all the happiness she felt in that moment.

Once they got to Rachel's car, she opened up the boot, thus allowing Eddie to dump his holdall before getting in. "Eddie," she called over.

He glanced over at Rachel whilst closing the boot, "yeah,"

A small, child-like pout formed on Rachel's lips, "I never got a… oh, to Hell with it."

Eddie frowned in confusion but that sense receded as she approached. In one swift motion, her arms encircled his neck, pulling him forwards, into a passionate kiss. Eddie's lips curved upwards into a smile and she pried them open as his hands cradled her waist. Both were blissfully unaware that their passion-fuelled moment was being filmed from a nearby vehicle…

Upon pulling away, Rachel smirked up at him, "that kiss was well worth the wait," he commented.

"I should think so," she replied. Rachel relinquished her hold and pushed the button upon her car-key to open the door. Eddie climbed into the passenger's seat whilst Rachel did the same round the other side. Both were just about to belt up and start the journey to Rachel's house when her hand on his thigh stopped him in his tracks. "Tell me what happened at dinner last night, with Alison."

The gentility in her tone put no pressure on Eddie to talk, but it was something he needed to share, they didn't keep secrets from each other. "Her latest bombshell, you mean?" he replied, Rachel nodded but didn't interrupt, "she's met someone, they're getting married and talking about moving down South with Michael."

Of all the things Rachel had expected from Alison, that wasn't among them. At that point, her next move would be to offer some words of comfort but none sprung to mind. He'd built a relationship with Michael, Rachel set the wheels in motion for that and now Alison could take it away a second time. The prospect of not seeing the young lad anymore broke Rachel's heart, but her own emotions paled into insignificance when stacked against Eddie's. "I told her about us as well," he added, trying to lighten the mood.

A slight smile crossed Rachel's face, "how did she take it?"

"Better than expected, she reckoned she picked up on something between us the day she dumped Michael on me. Wondered what took us so long too."

Rachel had no answer for Eddie's words, they both knew why it took them so long to reach this point; the initial animosity, her past, the fire, her insecurities, Melissa. So many obstacles to overcome, but they'd done it.

Rachel took advantage of the silence and rested a reassuring hand against Eddie's cheek, stroking a thumb across it. As their gazes met, she recognised this to be the moment to take the next step. Rachel moved forwards, pressing her lips gently to his and permitting Eddie a brief reciprocation before pulling away. Her forehead came to rest against his, then she spoke again. "I love you, Eddie," Rachel uttered in a voice no louder than a whisper before pulling back, "whatever happens, we'll deal with it, OK?"

With a nod of agreement from Eddie, the conversation came to its natural conclusion. Rachel's hand found his and clasped it in her own, allowing her thumb to stroke over his knuckles as she returned a gesture he'd made four weeks previous. On the night of Phillip's party, she'd gotten worked up about the number of students strutting up her driveway to join in. Eddie calmed her down as she contemplated ditching their date to play bouncer instead.

In the present day, Eddie's right hand gripped Rachel's left as he gazed into her beautiful doe-like eyes. "I love you too, by the way," he eventually murmured in response to Rachel's declaration.

The grin she threw in his direction did more to lift his spirits than anything else would, "I don't doubt it."

At that, silence fell between the couple, Eddie trusted Rachel implicitly and knew they'd deal with the situation. Somehow, everything would turn out OK, he felt sure of it.

* * *

Having decided against cooking that night, Rachel stopped off at a local takeaway en route home to pick up some pizzas for herself and Eddie. Ham and mushroom for Rachel, pepperoni for Eddie. Phillip, she presumed, would get something while he was out with Bolton and Paul.

Rachel noted the living room lights were still on when she pulled up, meaning Phillip hadn't yet left to meet his friends for the evening. Once they'd gotten out and Eddie had retrieved his holdall, she locked the car up and they both approached the front door. "Phillip!" Rachel called as she opened the front door.

"Still here!" he called back.

Eddie stepped over the threshold behind Rachel, closing the door behind him. He glanced at the flowers on the sideboard, then captured Rachel's gaze before he spoke, "you put them there?"

At his words, a grin spread across Rachel's face, "where else would I put them? I wanted to put them somewhere prominent, so I'd see them every time I come home."

Eddie's expression mirrored hers as he wrapped his arms around her waist, "who'd have thought it eh? Rachel Mason has a sentimental heart," he teased.

Rachel dug an affectionate fist into his ribs as she broke away, "I'm hungry, plate up the pizzas, please."

Eddie nodded, depositing his holdall beside the stairs, "shall I pour drinks too?" he asked whilst taking the pizzas from Rachel.

There was a pause before she answered, she had to think fast, "I'll sort them,"

Once again, Eddie nodded, pressing a soft kiss to her lips before wandering into the kitchen to plate up their pizzas. Rachel stepped into the living room and from the set-up, surmised that Phillip hadn't moved since she'd left to meet Eddie. His gaze veered away from the TV as the door opened, "you OK Phillip?"

"Yeah, good," Phillip replied as he rose from the sofa, "I'll go say hello to Eddie, then I'm heading out."

"OK, any problems, call me, yeah?"

Phillip nodded and Rachel stepped aside, allowing her nephew through; he soon found Eddie and she caught small scraps of their conversation through a gap in the door. Soon afterwards, Rachel joined them, "I'll leave you guys to it," Phillip said, deciding then to take his leave, "have a good night."

"You as well Phil, see you later," Eddie called after him.

Seconds later, the front door shut as Phillip left, leaving Rachel and Eddie alone. He moved forwards, once again wrapping his arms around her waist. "Alone at last," he murmured before pressing a soft kiss to her neck.

Rachel giggled, "you've got me all to yourself tonight, Lawson,"

"Lucky me," he muttered before kissing her once more.

There was a brief reciprocation from Rachel before she pulled away, "dinner, I'm hungry," she reminded him. Eddie grinned, pushing her plated up pizza towards her, "I'll sort drinks, you sit down."

For once, Eddie obeyed, settling himself on a stool at Rachel's breakfast bar. Seeing this as an opportunity to appreciate what was in front of him, he seized it. Every movement she made entranced him; from the way she raised herself onto her tiptoes to get the glasses from an overhead cupboard to the way she bent over the fridge to retrieve their drinks. A can of beer for him, cranberry juice for her. He'd noted that ever since they'd got together, she kept a few cans in the fridge; for those nights when he'd come over instead of taking her out. Eddie frowned as Rachel poured her juice, she wasn't reaching for the wine as normal and that surprised him after such a long week. It sent alarm bells ringing in his head, was she ill and worried about telling him? He made a mental note to ask her later.

* * *

Eddie glanced down at Rachel as the movie credits rolled; they'd long since demolished dinner and retired to her living room afterwards to watch a movie. His hand caressed her side through the thin cotton of her t-shirt as Rachel snuggled further into his embrace, wanting to be as close to him as possible. Ever since she'd poured the cranberry juice before eating, Eddie had kept a discreet eye on what she drank. She hadn't once filled her glass with red wine, opting instead for the cranberry juice each time. Once again, alarm bells rang as he contemplated why she steered clear of the wine, the most obvious of all didn't even spring to mind. Finally, he bit the bullet, asking a question that had been on the tip of his tongue all evening, "Rach, are you OK?"

Rachel rolled onto her back, glancing up and into Eddie's eyes. She saw all the emotions he fought to keep at bay in his expression; the curiosity, worry and anxiety. She could no longer keep the secret, she had to break the game-changing news now. "Eddie, I'm fine… but there's something I need to tell you."

"What is it Rach?"

She sat up, prompting Eddie to do the same, "before I go on, promise you won't go mad at me,"

He moved closer, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead, "why would I go mad? What do you need to tell me?"

As Rachel gazed into his eyes once more, she saw everything; the confusion, worry and anxiety remained. Desperation crept in too. However, amongst all that, there was no mistaking the love and understanding in his handsome face. "I'm pregnant, Eddie."

* * *

_So, how's Eddie going to take Rachel's game-changing news? Review, and I promise you'll find out soon. Not sure how soon though, I've got the next chapter written but ideally, I'd like to get another chapter or two written too before I post it, so I don't keep you guys waiting too long for updates beyond that._

_x_


	4. All The Good Things

_Hello guys, here I am again!_

_Now, I'll be honest, I had intended on delivering this chapter yesterday but I had a massive crisis of confidence with it because it wasn't coming together how I'd intended. So, instead of sorting it, I sulked!_

_Also, you almost didn't get this chapter in its entirety. I almost edited out the smut that follows the first scene but left it in because a) I don't see why I should have to censor my own work and b) I'm quite proud of it, not gonna lie._

_So, prior warning, this chapter does contain sexual content so if that's not your thing, then skip over it, I won't be offended._

_Finally, this chapter is dedicated to my greatest cheerleaders, you both know who you are. Again, thank you for listening to my frustrated ramblings yesterday!_

_x_

* * *

**Chapter Four: All The Good Things**

A few moments of silence elapsed as Eddie digested Rachel's news. Everything made sense now she'd said the words; the mood swings, the cranberry juice that evening, leaving her coffee the previous day. Joyce enquired about Rachel's well-being the previous lunch-time before mentioning she hadn't touched her coffee that morning. Eddie berated himself for not noticing the signs, Alison had been pregnant too, he should have realised.

The relief etched into Eddie's face became clear to Rachel as she noted his features no longer showed any hallmarks of concern, worry and anxiety. Instead, she found a mixture of shock, excitement and affection, filling her with hope. "Say something, Eddie," she prompted.

With Rachel's announcement still ringing in his ears, Eddie couldn't string a sentence together. For the time being, he hoped she'd glean enough from his expression to alleviate any curiosity. Her news came as a surprise to him too because like Rachel, he thought they'd been careful; however, he was no fool, they'd definitely slipped up once for the pregnancy to occur. After getting together with Melissa on the rebound from Rachel's rejection, Eddie believe his chance had gone. Now, as she sat there, telling him she was having his baby, he realised nothing would ever make him so happy again. "You're sure? I mean, you've done the test?"

Eddie cringed at his idiocy, feeling stupid for even asking the question. Rachel nodded, "this morning," she replied, "I had suspected since the start of the week though."

"Why didn't you mention it?"

Rachel shrugged, "I didn't want to say anything until I'd done a test. Plus, I wasn't how you'd react, I mean, it's only been six weeks, isn't it too soon?"

Eddie's forehead rested against Rachel's, his lips hovering so close to hers in a moment that seemed like another next step in their relationship. He hooked a finger underneath her chin, tilting her head upwards before planting a kiss upon her lips. Perhaps the most tender kiss he'd given her to date. The kiss took Rachel's breath away, as Eddie noted upon pulling back. He scrutinised her as she inhaled a huge gulp of oxygen, noting the emotional tears gathering on her bottom eyelids. Eddie wiped them away before resting a comforting hand upon her cheek as he spoke. "Maybe it is too soon, maybe it isn't, we have no way of knowing. Whatever you decide, I'll support you wholeheartedly; I don't want you doubting how much I love you, or how much I'll love our child. Yes, we've only been together six weeks, I realise that, and my only regret is that we didn't get together sooner. All that matters now is that we are together, and I promise, I'm not leaving you… or our baby."

Tears re-appeared in Rachel's eyes as Eddie finished speaking; once again, he wiped the residue away before manoeuvring a hand between their bodies, allowing it to rest upon her stomach. She realised it long before they even got together but he'd amplified it in the last few minutes. To Rachel, Eddie Lawson was the most extraordinary man. No-one had shown her respect to the degree he did every day. Most men she'd become involved with ran a mile at the slightest sign that the relationship was getting serious. Eddie was different, and she loved that, she loved that her pregnancy news delighted him as much as her. They came so close to being separated forever when she'd gotten injured in the fire and a great number of things had happened since, preventing the inevitable. The issues didn't need listing, they knew where they'd gone wrong. With their past misdemeanours behind them, Eddie would ensure nothing came between them again. "Thank you," Rachel murmured.

"What for?"

A smile rose upon Rachel's face as he planted a kiss to her forehead, "for just being you. Every word I said earlier, I meant, I love you… so much, and I can't wait to welcome our baby too."

Reciprocation wasn't necessary, she knew it, and felt it more keenly that evening than ever before. "Neither can I Rach," he replied, pulling her closer.

Rachel took a huge, steadying breath as she rested her head against Eddie's chest, listening to the soft thumping of his heartbeat. A heart that belonged to her. Eddie's arms tightened as he pressed the occasional kiss to the top of Rachel's head. For several moments, silence enveloped them before Eddie switched the television off. Rachel frowned as he made a move to rise, "where are you going?"

Eddie grinned, "I'm not going anywhere, we are. I'd like to take the mother of my unborn child to bed."

A soft smile lit up Rachel's face, "lead the way, you know where it is."

As Rachel rose from the sofa, Eddie entwined their fingers before leading her out of the lounge and towards the stairs, switching lights off as they went.

* * *

The speed with which Eddie pinned Rachel against the wall upon reaching her bedroom took her by surprise. He realised this and gave her a few moments to catch her breath. In those moments, Eddie's gaze alternated between eyes and lips; Rachel soon caught him off-guard with a kiss. A gentle nip to Eddie's bottom lip pried them open. She gasped as her tongue crossed the threshold, meeting his following suit. Her fingers became fisted in his hair once her arms wound around his neck. Eddie gasped in an audible reaction to the pressure she exerted.

Before too long, Rachel pulled away, holding Eddie close as she took some much-needed air into her lungs. Before taking things up a level, she drew Eddie further into the room. Her fingers trailed over his shoulders, stopping to grasp the shirt collar. It was at times like this that Rachel appreciated the casual way with which he fastened his shirt. Fewer buttons to undo in the throes of passion. Rachel unfastened each button with a quickness Eddie didn't expect before casting aside the cotton garment. Then, Rachel's lips settled against his jaw-line, pressing soft, teasing kisses to it before moving over his neck and collar-bone. A groan rose in Eddie's throat as he tilted his head to accommodate Rachel's movements before deciding to exercise a modicum of control over the situation.

He tilted her head upwards, meeting her gaze before closing the gap and instigating another passionate kiss. Rachel gasped into it as Eddie upped the ante, swallowing every sound as his hands cradled her waist. His fingers brushed against the hem of her t-shirt, inching it upwards; in doing so, they also stroked over her stomach. Tears of happiness gathered in Rachel's eyes; his sentimental caress told her more about his feelings that words ever could. Another gasp left her as she fought valiantly to keep a stranglehold on her emotions. At that moment, Eddie broke away, frowning upon seeing her tears. "Are you OK?" he questioned.

Rachel smiled at his expression of concern before delivering an assurance, "more than."

"We don't have to do this…"

Rachel nodded in acknowledgement, "I want this, and you."

Eddie grinned back before picking up where he'd left off. Her t-shirt landed atop Eddie's and Rachel, sensing an opportunity, made the next move. With their lips once again entangled, she made a grab for his jeans, unfastening the button and lowering the zip. Again, Eddie pulled back, finishing the job Rachel started in removing the garment. His next move was imminent

Eddie's next move saw him sweep Rachel off her feet, guiding her long legs around his waist. With their foreheads pressed together and her laughter ringing in his ears, the couple soon fell onto the bed. Rachel's giggles soon ceased, being replaced by heavy breathing as Eddie's fingers brushed over the waistband of her jeans. A mirror image of Rachel's own movements beforehand. With her jeans soon clear, they dived beneath the bedclothes, continuing things from there.

The look Eddie gave Rachel smouldered, resulting in a hitch to her breath. Only now did Rachel understand how Eddie could see past her various imperfections and love her in the way he did. He didn't care about her past, his only interest was their present and future. Starting with her lips, Eddie kissed her then moved south, following a similar path to Rachel earlier, caressing neck and collar-bone before reaching her chest. The physical reminder of the fire that so nearly took Rachel's life remained. Eddie descended beneath the bedclothes, thus bypassing the scar. His lips met her stomach, hoping to project a kiss to their unborn child. Butterflies fluttered in Rachel's tummy at Eddie's contact, euphoria surged through her body as the enormity of the situation hit home. At that moment, her expression was alight with happiness; happiness that he hadn't flipped out over the unexpected pregnancy and his steadfast presence remained.

Rachel's thoughts soon returned to the present as Eddie shifted upwards, his lips returning to her upper body. They brushed over the edge of her scar, pressing feather-light kisses to its perimeter. Rachel's breaths came out in gasps as he refused to avoid her biggest insecurity. This scar was the main reason they hadn't ended up together at the start of term, after she returned; Rachel viewed it as a mark of imperfection, something to be ashamed of but to Eddie, it was part of who she was. It was the price she paid for trying to save a life, her blackmailer's no less. Rachel Mason refused to leave anyone behind; Eddie loved that about her but it also drove him mad. However, he embraced it, knowing she wouldn't change, he didn't want her to.

Eddie's lips soon met Rachel's, her back arching against him as they kissed, allowing him the freedom to reach underneath and unfasten her bra. Once more, Eddie descended beneath the covers, hooking his fingers into her lace undies before shifting to remove them. His fingers, then his lips brushed over Rachel's inner thigh, causing her to release a gasp, almost inaudible to him because of the bedclothes. The sound brought Eddie to his senses, making him realise she was getting impatient at the lack of progress in their physical encounter. She needed him, just like he needed her.

At last, Eddie made a move, his fingers stretching out over the bundle of nerves between her thighs. His touch was light, but still sent Rachel's arousal sky-rocketing and Eddie wished he could see her face contort with pleasure whilst touching her. Overwhelmed by that sense of desperation, he shifted upwards, leaving his fingers to do the work.

The fast movement of Eddie's fingers between her thighs took Rachel by surprise; however, she welcomed the change-up. One minutes they stroked over her entrance, the next, two fingers curved inside her and his thumb circled her clit. Eddie's earlier desire paid dividends, her face contorted in pleasure while the groan that followed left little doubt to her state of arousal. There was a familiar to Eddie's movements as they fastened. Rachel's hands reached for him, fingers fisting in his hair. He kissed her yet again, upping the ante with it and extracting a whimper from his consenting partner. All too soon though, Rachel's own desire won out. Breaking away once more, she pleaded, "Eddie, please."

Eddie was the only person permitted a glimpse at Rachel's true vulnerability. That included showing weakness in begging for things. She'd only ever begged him for two things; a retraction of his resignation and now, her release, and his as well. Eddie nodded before pressing a soft kiss to her puckered lips. He soon removed his boxers, losing them somewhere in the confines of the bedclothes. Without further preamble, Eddie manoeuvred into position above Rachel, paralysing her with a gaze so full of love and lust as he made the initial, shallow penetrative movement.

Eddie's lips crashed down onto Rachel's, swallowing her groan of pleasure. She responded, her reciprocation fierce as she poured all the passion she felt for him into that kiss. For several moments, Eddie remained motionless, giving Rachel time to acclimatise to the sensation. "Are you OK?" he murmured in an undertone upon pulling back.

Rachel beamed, "I'm more than fine."

Eddie grinned and soon leant down to kiss her again; Rachel's arms hung loosely over his shoulders and her legs fastened around his waist, urging him on. A gasp emanated from her lips as Eddie moved within her. After a slow start, Rachel's fingernails became embedded in his back as she began her pleading. Eddie complied, upping the pace, sensing that she needed the release. His lips left hers and Rachel moaned out loud, immediately missing the contact. Eddie seemed to realise this as he soon placated her by pressing his lips to the erogenous zone in her neck. At the contact, Rachel groaned, his lips warm as they trailed over her beautiful body once more. All the while, Eddie carried on his movements into her compliant lower body as Rachel met each one and they worked the other towards a climax. Rachel's body arched against him, his movements more urgent as he coaxed a climax from her. Her legs tightened around his waist and Rachel's release was upon her before she even realised it, "oh God, Eddie," she moaned into his ear, succumbing to the elation.

Rachel's womanhood clenched around his erection and her hips bucked against him, unable to control her body's reaction to the intense orgasm Eddie gave her. His movements slowed and eventually came to a stop, he withdrew and propped himself up to gaze over Rachel. "I missed you last night," she murmured into the silence.

Eddie smiled, "are you suggesting I take up a lot of space in this bed?"

Rachel laughed, digging a fist into his ribs, "I never said that. I just meant, we've come home together almost every day for the last however long, it didn't seem right leaving you behind yesterday."

"Are we getting soft?"

Again, Rachel laughed, before shaking her head, "I'm just not used to being treated with this much respect in any relationship."

"Better get used to it Rach, because you deserve all the good things, and I want to be the one to give them to you."

Rachel smiled before pressing a kiss to his lips, "God, I love you Eddie,"

Eddie reciprocated, "I love you too, Rach."

With their conversation now at an end, Rachel settled and soon drifted off, leaving Eddie awake with his thoughts. For a while after Rachel dozed, he watched her sleep; so beautiful, so peaceful, how lucky was he? As he replayed her pregnancy announcement in his mind, a smile creased his face; he couldn't wait for the little one's arrival. Rachel, Eddie and Baby Lawson, the perfect family; with that thought at the forefront of his mind, Eddie soon joined Rachel in slumber land.

* * *

_If you've made it to the end, thanks for reading and feel free to drop me some reviews, they motivate me :D_

_As with the last chapter, can't guarantee when I'll have the next one ready. With Christmas round the corner, work's going to be busy so not sure how much time I'll have to gear towards writing. Will do all I can to get it to you in time for Christmas though._

_x_


	5. Domesticity

_Hello all, I'm back again with another chapter for you all._

_Thank you so much for all the reviews on my previous update, I appreciate them all so much. I know I should probably have more faith in my own abilities but y'know, easier said that done sometimes..._

_x_

* * *

**Chapter Five: Domesticity**

Rachel awoke early the next morning, blinking sleepily as the sunlight peeked through a small gap in the curtains. She glanced over at Eddie's sleeping form and a smile stretched across her face. In that moment, an astounding realisation hit her. She was at her happiest in that moment, all because of the man sound asleep beside her. Rachel shuffled out of Eddie's embrace and sat up; a familiar feeling of nausea crept over her as she threw the bedclothes off. She high-tailed it to the bathroom, then emptied the contents of her stomach into the toilet bowl. Eventually, Rachel rose from her crouched position, leaning against the sink before reaching for a glass and filling it with water. She drank the contents before replacing the glass and splashing her face with cold water. She loved the fact that she was having Eddie's child but hated the morning sickness, hoping it wouldn't linger for the duration of her pregnancy.

Rachel pulled her purple silk dressing gown off the hook, wrapping it around her otherwise naked body before returning to the bedroom. Eddie stirred as she got back in, "where did you disappear to?" he questioned, still half-asleep.

"Bathroom, morning sickness," Rachel replied.

Eddie sat up in haste, fixing her with a look of concern, "are you OK? Do you need anything?"

Rachel met his gaze and melted upon seeing the look he gave her. For many years after escaping her prostitution hell, she'd avoided getting close to anyone, especially men, for fear of what would happen when she let her defences down. For her, getting together with Eddie was a massive deal, and he understood that, no man had ever given her feelings due consideration before. Eddie was different, for he was always doing just that. "Just a cuddle, please."

Eddie grinned, flopping back against the pillow as he opened up his arms; Rachel shuffled into his embrace and relaxed, a sense of security overwhelming her as Eddie's hold tightened, he'd keep them safe. "Rach," he murmured, breaking the contented silence that had fallen.

"Mmmm?" she replied before stifling a yawn.

"I love you,"

At Eddie's words, Rachel's heart skipped a beat; coming from someone who meant so much to her, those words meant everything. Yesterday evening may have been the first time they'd uttered those words but deep down, Rachel knew that was how he felt when they first got together. Why else would he have chosen her over Melissa when she forced the ultimatum upon him? "I love you too," she responded, beaming with pride.

Eddie smiled before leaning over to press a soft kiss to Rachel's lips; she reciprocated briefly before he pulled back, "breakfast?"

Rachel thought about Eddie's suggestion for a moment, "yeah, why not,"

Eddie kissed her again before pulling back the bedclothes, finding his boxers at the same time. Rachel watched as he retrieved his clothes, pulling on his jeans. Eddie glanced over and smirked, "are you going to get dressed too, or just sit there and tease me?"

Rachel laughed, "which would you prefer?"

"Neither,"

"Come on Eddie, pick one, please,"

"OK," Eddie responded, fastening the buttons on last night's crumpled shirt, "I'd rather you got dressed too. Not too sure I can take your teasing this early."

"Spoilsport,"

Once he'd finished, Eddie approached the bed, sitting down beside Rachel. "You coming down for breakfast, or shall I bring it up?" he questioned, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

Rachel smiled, "I'll come down,"

Eddie grinned, kissing her once more before standing up and heading towards the bedroom door. He turned back, threw Rachel one final smile before leaving to head downstairs.

Once Eddie's footsteps receded, she took a few seconds to gather herself before throwing off the bedclothes and getting up. Moments later, she left the room and headed downstairs.

She padded downstairs and heard Eddie moving about in the kitchen. Their relationship's progression astounded Rachel, they hadn't been together long and here he was, pottering about in her kitchen as if they had been for years. Since that night, Eddie had spent more time at Rachel's than his own place. She joined him in the kitchen and upon entering, Eddie smiled in her direction, "toast OK for you?" he questioned whilst popping a slice of bread into the toaster.

"Toast's fine," Rachel replied, thinking that would be all she'd be able to keep down. She moved towards her man, wrapping her arms around him before kissing the back of his neck, "thank you."

"What for?"

"Taking care of me."

"No thanks necessary, looking after you is my number one priority."

The concept of being in such a stable and happy relationship was new to her, and it was a concept she cherished. Rachel couldn't imagine another man making her so happy. Eddie spun around and faced her, leaning downwards so his forehead rested against hers. At that precise moment, the toast popped out, ruining the intimate moment.

Eddie put the slice of toast on a plate, then passed it along to Rachel, "shall I put another one on?"

Rachel nodded, "aren't you having breakfast?"

"I am, but I wanted you to eat first, you're the one eating for two."

Deep down, Rachel already knew it, but his words confirmed it; Eddie was the perfect man to father her child. "Thank you, again,"

Eddie kissed the top of her head as he moved back towards the toaster, popping another two slices in. For a short period, there was silence until Rachel broke the spell, "did you hear Phillip come home last night?"

Eddie shook his head as the toast popped out once again, "did you?"

Rachel too shook her head, "why do you think I asked you?" she questioned. Eddie shrugged, "I'll go see if he's still in bed."

"What about your slices of toast?"

"You have them, put another one on for me please,"

Eddie obeyed, popping one final slice of bread into the toaster as Rachel took off. Seconds later, she stood outside the bedroom Phillip had occupied these past weeks, listening for any sounds that would suggest he was asleep behind that door. There was nothing, so Rachel knocked, "Phillip, are you awake?"

Still no answer so she pushed open the door and stepped inside. Upon entering, Rachel noted that Phillip's bed was empty, meaning he hadn't come back. Rachel's subconscious straightaway jumped to the worst-case scenario, what had happened? Why hadn't he informed her? In fairness to Phillip, Rachel's mind was elsewhere the previous evening. He may well have shot off a text, she hadn't checked her phone.

Rachel left Phillip's bedroom and careered downstairs to retrieve her phone from the sideboard. As she picked it up, she breathed a sigh of relief upon noting her one unread message from Phillip. Hey Rach, I'm staying at Bolton's tonight, hope you don't mind. Figured you and Eddie needed some space too, see you soon.

With her mind now at rest over Phillip's whereabouts, Rachel re-joined Eddie in the kitchen and sat down. "He stayed at Bolton's last night,"

The toaster spat out Rachel's second slice, which Eddie passed over before returning to his own. "He sent a message then, I take it,"

Rachel nodded as she watched slather his slice of toast in butter. "Only just seen it because I think it's fair to say I was a bit… preoccupied last night,"

Eddie glanced up at Rachel, mirroring the smirk present upon her face before biting into his toast.

* * *

"I need to do the food shop later Eddie, you don't fancy coming with me, do you?"

Rachel hated food shopping, it was such a chore, and she hoped with Eddie accompanying her, it would be more bearable. He approached from behind as she washed up their breakfast things, "course I will, if it means I get to spend more time with you."

Rachel giggled as Eddie took the tea towel from her, then pressed his lips against her neck, "sure, that's exactly what it means. I hope you intend on washing and changing your clothes before we go though."

"Course I am," Eddie replied, bristling with indignation.

Rachel turned in time to see the mock hurt expression cross his face; the smile told Eddie she was only teasing. "You can use my shower if you like. I'd be more than happy to keep you company," she murmured with a seductive intonation.

Upon hearing the obvious insinuation, Eddie's eyes widened. "Hmmmm," he replied, pulling a face as he pondered Rachel's suggestion, "how can I refuse?"

Rachel grinned, then glanced up at Eddie; she placed a hand against his arm before leaning upwards to capture his lips in a kiss. "I don't think you're meant to refuse,"

With that, she grabbed his hand and together, they left the kitchen and headed up to Rachel's en-suite, leaving the plates to drip dry beside the sink.

* * *

Eddie and Rachel emerged from the en-suite after their intimate shower. She smiled upon spotting Eddie's holdall, which laid open at the foot of her wardrobe; only then did it dawn on her how natural this whole situation felt. She'd missed waking up beside Eddie the previous morning when he was away in Manchester. Before they got together, it had just been herself and Phillip in this house. As much as she loved her nephew, she had no desire to go back, "Eddie,"

"Rachel," Eddie responded as he bent down to pick some jeans, a t-shirt and boxers out of his holdall.

"Can I ask your opinion about something?"

"Course, fire away,"

"I was wondering… how would you feel about moving in together?"

Eddie glanced up at Rachel as he struggled to suppress a smile, "is this hypothetical, or are you asking?"

"I'm asking if you'd like to move in with Phillip and I,"

This time, no amount of suppression stopped Eddie's rising grin, and he rose and faced Rachel. "I'd love to Rach," he declared, dropping his clothes to the bed before taking her face in his hands and pressing a passionate kiss to her lips. He pulled back and gazed into her eyes, "you realise that with me moving in here, we should tell the staff about us."

Again, Rachel nodded, "I know, we're all professionals and if they can't deal with it, that's their problem. Seems a small sacrifice to pay for being able to live with you."

"Won't you get sick of the sight of me?"

"If I thought that would ever happen, I'd never have asked you to move in," Rachel said, pausing briefly before continuing, "we should tell Phillip too."

Eddie nodded before pressing a kiss to her forehead, "we'll talk to him when he's back, when do you want me to move in?"

"Whenever you want,"

"Tomorrow then,"

"Perfect," Rachel said before kissing him once more. She pulled back as a thought occurred to her, "we should tell him about my pregnancy as well."

Eddie nodded in agreement, "it'll be for the best,"

Rachel hummed an acknowledgement before turning towards her wardrobe as she began to get dressed. That process took longer than she'd have liked because Eddie couldn't keep his hands off her. Eventually, she gave up. "Right, I shall go get dressed in there" she said, removing Eddie's arms from around her as she pointed towards the en-suite. "I'd like to get the food shop done and dusted today," she added before flouncing off.

Eddie listened for the closing and locking of the door before uttering a single word, "spoilsport."

He didn't care, he still loved her.

* * *

_Feel free to drop me a review, I absolutely love reading them and they motivate me so much._

_Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and (just in case I don't get another chapter up before the New Year) a Happy New Year. They'll definitely be more of this to come in 2020, watch this space ;)_

_x_


	6. Play-Fighting

_Happy New Year everyone, I hope that the fact that I'm posting this on the first day of the New Year is a sign of how the rest of the year is going to go!_

_Thank you so much once again for all the wonderful reviews and comments. Special thanks go to schefflera, whose review a couple of days ago really made my day!_

_x_

* * *

**Chapter Six: Play-Fighting**

With the grocery shopping brought and paid for, Rachel and Eddie returned to the house later that afternoon; she opened up the boot before darting towards the front door. After throwing the door open, she returned to the car to help. "I'll do this Rachel," he said whilst retrieving grocery bags from the boot.

"Eddie, I'm pregnant, not an invalid," she snapped, taking the bags from him before stalking back towards the house.

He sighed, rolling his eyes in exasperation as he retrieved the final two bags before shutting the boot with a satisfying clunk. Rachel appeared on the front step, locking the car before heading back inside. There was silence as Eddie followed her into the kitchen, depositing the final two bags on the countertop where Rachel had put hers. Together, they unloaded the shopping, stacking all the items into their relevant cupboards. Still, the silence remained and Rachel hated it; she'd been the one to snap, so decided she'd also be the one to swallow her pride and break the silence. "Eddie, I'm sorry," she muttered.

Had Eddie been stood further away, he might not have heard her. However, he did, but strung it out a while longer, "I didn't quite catch that," he responded, "what did you say?"

A pout formed upon Rachel's lips and another short period of silence followed, "I'm sorry," she said, louder than before. Once she'd deposited a jar of pickled onions, Rachel turned to face Eddie, "I didn't mean to snap at you," she apologised.

"We're a partnership Rachel, you don't have to do everything yourself anymore."

"I know, I'm just not used to having someone around I can rely on, but I'm trying, forgive me?"

Eddie grinned, no longer able to keep up the charade as he approached her. Drawing Rachel into his embrace, he rested his chin on top of her head before speaking once again, "I heard your apology the first time."

At Eddie's confession, a gasp left Rachel's lips. For his trouble, he received a playful slap across the arm, "why did you make me say it again then?"

"Because I don't think I've ever heard you apologise so fast."

Rachel suppressed a grin by burying her head into Eddie's shirt, "I don't want you thinking I'll be a nightmare to live with."

Eddie smiled, pressing a kiss into Rachel's hair, "as if I'd ever think that."

"I wouldn't blame you if you did."

Eddie drew Rachel's head away, forcing her to look him dead in the eye, "I don't, I could never," he assured her.

A smile tugged at the corners of Rachel's mouth and she leant forwards, following up her movement with a kiss. "Thank you," she murmured, "now, I'm not much of a domestic goddess, but how about I cook tonight?"

"Sounds perfect," Eddie replied, tightening his hold upon her.

"What do you fancy?"

"You."

Eddie's remark resulted in another playful slap as Rachel rolled her eyes, "I cook a mean spag bol, we could always have that?"

"Fine by me, is Phil joining us too?"

Rachel shrugged, "he'll be back at some point, I'm just glad he's finally making friends."

Eddie nodded in agreement, "plus, it means we get time to ourselves too."

"That's also true, are you not yet sick of the sight of me though?"

Eddie's subconscious wanted to yell at her for making such a suggestion. However, he resisted the urge, realising that Rachel's previous bad experiences may have played a part in her asking that question, "why would you even suggest that?"

Again, Rachel shrugged against him, "everyone else seems to."

"I'm not everyone else," Eddie pointed out, "if I thought I'd ever get sick of the sight of you, I'd never have agreed to move in."

In that statement, Eddie made a valid point, Rachel conceded, "if you ever do though…"

"Rachel… Shhhh! It's not happening."

She fell silent, paying heed to Eddie's request, "I guess I'd better get started on this spag bol," she eventually muttered as she glanced towards the kitchen clock.

Eddie seemed reluctant to let Rachel go and under different circumstances, she'd happily stay where she was. Now however, she needed to cook their dinner, "what if I don't want to let you go?"

"Do you really want to starve?"

At that, Eddie reeled backwards, as if Rachel had administered an electric shock, "course not."

"Good, now shoo!" Rachel demanded as she pushed him towards the kitchen door.

"Why have I got to go?"

"Because Eddie, we both know you cannot keep your hands to yourself, especially when I'm around. Besides, if you stick around while I cook, we'll never get round to eating and as we've already established, you don't want to starve…"

"OK, OK, fine," Eddie said as he trudged into the hallway, "I know when I'm not wanted."

At that moment, Rachel sympathised with him. She leant against the doorframe, briefly stared at her other half before planting a single, solitary kiss to his lips. "If only you knew how wrong you are," she muttered against him.

Rachel pulled back, giving Eddie no time to answer before shutting the kitchen door in his face. He frowned at the solid door before sauntering off to the living room to await the call for dinner.

* * *

With Rachel's spaghetti bolognaise cooked and dished up, Eddie was at last permitted re-entry to the kitchen. Phillip still hadn't been in contact but despite this, she'd kept some back in case he wanted something to eat upon his return. "Rach," Eddie spoke up after his first mouthful, "I've been thinking."

"Oh, always a dangerous precedent," Rachel responded in jest, pausing before continuing, "what about?

"I wanted to ask if you'd like to come away with me during the summer holidays,"

Eddie's request rendered Rachel speechless for a long moment, "just us?" she questioned, sliding her hand across the breakfast bar to clasp at one of his.

He nodded, "just us," he confirmed, "I can't imagine Phillip would enjoy being dragged along."

A laugh emanated from Rachel's lips and, as cliched as it sounded, it was music to Eddie's ears; it showed him she wasn't about to shoot his suggestion down in flames. "What a wonderful idea, I would love to," Rachel responded.

Eddie threw a grin in her direction, leaning over briefly to kiss her, "where shall we go?" he questioned.

At this, Rachel shrugged, "surprise me."

Those two words caused an internal panic to rise within Eddie; this would be their first holiday together, so it was important that he made the right choice regarding their destination. He understood how much trust Rachel was putting in him, not just in their relationship, but in this small part of it too, letting her down wasn't an option.

For a few minutes afterwards, the couple bandied about some destination ideas. Or rather, Rachel made suggestions and Eddie remained silent as he gauged her reaction to each one. He watched as her eyes lit up over one particular destination. A deep sense of longing coloured her tone as Rachel told of how long she'd dreamt of holidaying at this place. However, because of the romantic setting, she'd avoided doing so. Until now, Eddie decided. He'd take her and give her the holiday that she deserved.

After that, the conversation petered out as Rachel glanced in Eddie's direction. A faint blush creeped across her cheeks as it dawned upon her that his gaze remained upon her. Rachel tried to laugh it off, "Eddie, you're staring again."

At the sound of Rachel's voice, Eddie snapped out of it, "sorry," he muttered in apology, "I just love listening to your voice."

His excuse seemed reasonable, and he hoped Rachel brought it. Her cheeks flushed further in response to his words and in that moment, she realised she'd never loved another person as much as she did him. What they had found in the other was so special and she'd fight to the bitter end to keep it. Rachel leaned across the breakfast bar, pressing a soft kiss to the corner of Eddie's mouth before pulling away, wiping away a smidge of sauce as she did so.

From there, silence fell once again as they ate, hungrily devouring Rachel's spaghetti bolognaise. Upon finishing the delicious dish, Eddie rose from his stool to clear away the plates, stacking them beside the sink ready to wash up. Rachel tried stepping in, but Eddie rebuffed her attempt to do so. "No," he insisted, "you made the meal, I'm taking care of all this."

Rachel rolled her eyes as he gestured towards the washing up, but didn't argue as he turned on the taps and squeezed washing up liquid into the bowl. Instead, she approached as Eddie switched off the taps and got to work. Rachel caught him unawares as she reached around him, splashing him with soapy water. Eddie gasped in mock indignation, "oh, so that's your game, is it Rach?" he questioned as she smirked behind him. Upon wheeling around to face her, Eddie glanced towards her, watching as she chewed upon her bottom lip to prevent a laugh escaping. "Two can play at that game," he added, flicking more soapy water in her direction.

In response to Eddie's retaliation, Rachel dipped her hands back into the water before flicking even more soapy water at him. In their desperation to outdo the other, washing up had ceased to be an issue. Within seconds, a fully blown water fight ensued between the partners as both refused to back down. Both parties soon became soaked to the skin and upon realising this, Eddie called a halt to proceedings. He wrapped his arms around Rachel's waist and backed her into the breakfast bar behind them. The kitchen, at the height of the fight, had been alive with shouts of laughter but all giggling ceased as they stared into each other's eyes. An internal debate raged in Eddie's head, realising there was a fine line between what he wanted to do at that moment and what Rachel would appreciate.

In a split second, Rachel's lips upon his silenced the voice of doubt. Her fingers threaded through his hair, then tightened as the kiss evolved into a passionate frenzy. The ferocity took Rachel's breath away as she hitched Eddie's shirt upwards, intending to remove it. His hands followed a similar trajectory over Rachel's body but before the removal of either garment, a key in the door brought them crashing back to reality. They sprung apart, adjusting their t-shirts as the front door closed. "Rachel! You in?" Phillip called.

"Kitchen Phil," Rachel called back.

He pushed open the door, his gaze settling first upon Eddie and his ruffled hair and then Rachel's flushed complexion. "Not interrupting anything, am I?"

If it was possible, Rachel's face turned redder at her nephew's words, "not really, Eddie was just washing up."

Phillip laughed then rolled his eyes, "yeah, looks like it," he replied, "I'll leave you to it."

"No Phillip, it's fine, you stay. We'll leave you to it, there's some spaghetti bolognaise in the oven for you, if you fancy it."

Phillip smiled in appreciation at his aunt, thrilled that she had saved him some food. That sense of appreciation made him forget about the scene he'd walked in on. "Thanks Rach,"

Rachel smiled in response to her nephew's words, "we'll come and clean up in a bit," she assured him.

Phillip nodded as Rachel, then Eddie retreated from the kitchen, leaving him to eat his dinner in peace.

* * *

_Please keep dropping in to review and leave your comments, you guys don't have a clue how much they motivate me!_

_x_


	7. Telling Phillip

_Thank you so much everyone for all the reviews, I'm so happy people are still interested in reading about these adorable idiots._

_Here's my next chapter, enjoy!_

_x_

* * *

**Chapter Seven: Telling Phillip**

Once Phillip had eaten, he retired to the living room whilst Rachel and Eddie returned to the kitchen. As per the original plan, Eddie took care of washing up while Rachel mopped the kitchen floor, clearing up the mess from their water-fight. With both chores dealt with, the two adults joined Phillip as they prepared to break their news to him. "Phil, can we have a word mate?" Eddie questioned, taking a seat beside Rachel upon the sofa.

Upon hearing Eddie's words, Phillip's attention veered from the television to the couple sat a short distance from him. "Course, about what?"

From there, Rachel took control of the conversation, "it's nothing for you to worry about," she assured him. "We've got two things we need to share with you before both become common knowledge."

Phillip's brow furrowed as he wondered what she had to tell him. There was an opening there in which she could announce the news, so she took it, "I'm pregnant and we're planning on making our relationship official."

"Official in what way?"

"Eddie's moving in tomorrow, and we're telling the staff on Monday morning,"

Aside from a deep exhalation from Phillip, silence greeted Rachel's announcement, she'd expected that. Of all the bombshells she could have dropped, the pregnancy one was perhaps the most surprising. Eddie had practically lived at Rachel's for the last six weeks, so moving in together was the next logical step. Still, Phillip hadn't spoken up and Rachel wondered whether the news would upset the dysfunctional dynamic the three of them had. "Say something, Phillip."

A sense of happiness for his Aunt engulfed Phillip; if anyone deserved this, it was Rachel but despite that, he wondered what the baby's arrival would mean for him. Would Rachel still want him around when her and Eddie's baby arrived? "Where does this leave me?"

Phillip's question caught Rachel unawares, her brow furrowing in confusion this time, "how do you mean?"

"I mean, are you still going to want me around when the baby comes?"

At Phillip's words, a lump formed in Rachel's throat. Only then did she realise how deep his insecurities about his place in the family ran. She rose from her seat upon the sofa and approached Phillip, settling herself upon the arm of his chair. She cupped his cheek, ensuring he looked right at her as she spoke, "what on Earth would make you think I wouldn't? Whatever happens, you'll always have a home here if you want it. You're my nephew, this baby won't change that, nor will it change my desire to want what's best for you."

Eddie remained in position upon the sofa, watching the touching exchange between Aunt and nephew as an overwhelming sense of pride and affection swirled within him. In that moment, a profound realisation hit him; he'd find no-one better than Rachel to mother his child. Once upon a time, he'd thought the same about Alison however, when he compared the two women, he realised no-one would ever come close to Rachel. She truly was the love of his life.

As Rachel reassured him of his place, Eddie saw a genuine smile cross the young lads face and knew her pep-talk had worked. "Thank you, Rach,"

"No thanks necessary," Rachel responded, repeating words that, unbeknownst to Phillip, Eddie had spoken that morning, "you are family."

An overwhelming sense of belonging enveloped Phillip as Rachel's words sunk in, it was something he'd given up on attaining with Melissa long ago. Unlike her sister, Melissa kept her distance, didn't quiz him about his life and interests and Phillip couldn't help wondering how two sisters could be so different. Deep down, he loved his Mum but at the present time, didn't like her very much; she'd abandoned him, leaving Rachel to pick up the pieces, with Eddie in support. "I'll leave you guys to it, I've got homework to do," Phillip said, breaking the silence.

Rachel smiled at her nephew as he rose from the armchair. Phillip turned to face the couple as he reached the doorway, "if you want any help with the move, let me know. I'd like to help."

Until the sound of Phillip's footsteps had receded, Rachel and Eddie remained silent. She rose from the arm and returned to the sofa, curling instinctively into Eddie's side. In a show of support, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, holding her close. He cast a sideways glance at her, "tell me what you're thinking Rach,"

A deep sigh emanated from Rachel's lips as she wondered how to voice her current thought processes. Eddie knew not to interrupt, previous experience told him she'd open up when she was ready. Rachel rewarded his patience a few moments later, "I might swing for Melissa if she ever shows up again,"

"Not on my watch you won't," Eddie insisted, "you're having my baby Rach, it's my duty to keep you both safe."

At his words, Rachel glanced upwards, smiling as Eddie's words sunk in. "OK," she conceded, "I might not swing for her, but she's got a lot to answer for."

Eddie nodded in agreement, "not just to Phillip."

Rachel released a hum of agreement before falling silent, "how did I not see this coming?"

"Eh?"

"Phillip. I didn't realise he was still so… insecure, did you?"

Eddie shook his head, "maybe it's a good thing I am moving in here," he mused out loud, "he needs stability. With Melissa abandoning him how she did, he just needs to know that we're not going anywhere, it's understandable."

Rachel agreed, the young lad had been through a lot, Melissa's abandonment of him would always take a while to sink in. "Do you think he knows I meant every word of what I said?"

Eddie pressed a soft kiss into Rachel's hair before answering her question, "course he does. Did you see the smile upon his face? Stop worrying, Rach."

"I can't help it, he's family, I'm genetically programmed to worry about him,"

"And you wouldn't be the woman I fell madly in love with if you didn't,"

Rachel's heart soared in her chest as she replayed Eddie's words over and over in her mind, "whatever did I do to deserve you?"

"Should be me asking that question,"

"No, definitely me,"

Eddie had no desire to argue the point with her so he let the conversation lapse. Silence fell as a result, the film Phillip was watching continued in the background though neither adult paid attention. Rachel stifled a yawn, piquing Eddie's attention, "bedtime, I think."

Rachel agreed without hesitation, sitting herself up so Eddie could move. He switched off the television, plunging the room into silence as she rose from the sofa.

Eddie and Rachel only spoke a few words to each other as they readied themselves for bed that night. He sensed she was pondering the situation with Phillip and wondering how best to go about making things better. Eddie wished more that there was a fool-proof solution to making everything right, but there wasn't. He blamed himself for this whole sorry scenario, but he'd never let on to Rachel that he felt that way. If only he'd waited for Rachel after her initial rejection, none of this would be happening. Eddie's view on the situation was brutal, but he'd always been hard on himself over it. Wanting to do all he could to alleviate Rachel's inner turmoil, Eddie opened his arms to her as she climbed into bed beside him. "We'll solve this, it's just another obstacle and like all the others, we'll overcome it," he assured her.

She nodded in response, "as you said, he just needs a stable home-life so hopefully things will settle down once you're moved in."

"And if they don't, we'll deal with it, come what may."

Rachel believed him, he'd never promised her anything he couldn't deliver on, so there was no reason for her to doubt his latest assurance. When they'd started this relationship, she'd placed her trust in him wholeheartedly. With things between them now getting serious, Rachel realised how unbreakable their bond of trust had become. He wouldn't break that trust, now or ever.


	8. Moving Day

_Hello guys! I'm back, a few days later than I was hoping to be but never mind, had a few problems getting this chapter together but it's here now, and extra long too so enjoy!_

_Big thanks as ever to all my reviewers, especially to MissChloee and Celticgirl84 for catching up._

_x_

* * *

**Chapter Eight: Moving Day**

Moving day dawned bright for Rachel and Eddie and upon opening his eyes, he hoped it was a sign of things to come. As he rubbed the sleepiness from his eyes however, he noticed Rachel's side of the bed was unoccupied. Eddie sat up far quicker than usual, his heart rate returning to normal as he saw Rachel curled up in her chair beside the window. When she'd moved in herself, Rachel positioned her favourite chair by the bedroom window, giving her a glorious vantage point with which to star-gaze. Upon getting together, Rachel confided in Eddie that during some of her more restless nights of sleep, she'd sit and gaze up at the stars. Revelling in the peace, hoping it would calm her down enough to doze off. Had she had a bad night and decided not to wake him? Eddie needed to know.

With that thought in mind, he climbed out of bed and approached the chair, settling upon its arm. Eddie leant across to press a soft kiss into Rachel's hair, alerting her to his presence. "I didn't hear you get up," he muttered.

Rachel smiled, "you were dead to the world."

Eddie laughed, it was true, he could sleep through anything, "seriously, are you OK Rach?"

"Yeah, just couldn't sleep, that's all, too much going on in here," she said, pointing towards her head.

"Right, stand up,"

"Why?"

"Don't ask questions, just do it," he ordered. Rachel sighed before ceding to Eddie's demand; she rose and Eddie took her place in the comfy chair, "now, sit."

Rachel sat in his lap, turning her head into his chest, "this is nice," she muttered as he enveloped her in an embrace.

"That's kinda the point Rach," Eddie teased, pausing before his next question, "what's on your mind?"

Rachel stiffened, "what makes you think there's something on my mind?"

"Because I know you,"

That was true, he did, better than anyone else; better than even Phillip and Melissa. She chanced a glance up at Eddie and he stared back at her, his gaze alive with all the gentility associated with him. "Do you think we're doing the right thing here?" Rachel blurted out. When Eddie shot a questioning look her way, she elaborated, "moving you in here so soon."

He smothered a chuckle, "you suggested it."

"That was before last night's conversation. I can't blame Phillip for feeling unsettled by this whole situation. Remember, it was only a few months ago that you hooked up with Mel."

"Hey, Melissa's history, Phil knows that and besides, I think he's happier here with us than he ever was with me and Melissa."

"You reckon so?"

Eddie nodded, "if you're still having doubts, then let me talk to him. If that'll stop you worrying that we're somehow scarring him, then it's worth it."

Rachel chuckled, wiping away the pensive stare of a few minutes beforehand and relieving Eddie of his concerns, "you always know what to say to make me feel better."

"I can read you like a book Rach."

"That's what scared me about this at the start."

Eddie's forehead wrinkled in confusion, "eh?"

Rachel smiled, a brief silence followed as she worked out how best to phrase her next statement. "Before we even got together, you knew me better than anyone I've ever been with. I told you stuff I'd never shared with previous boyfriends. I never shared what I did with them because I thought they'd see me in a different light afterwards. Whenever I've found myself in a relationship, I've always held something back, until now. Eddie, you know me, warts and all, and you've not walked away. For that, you'll always have my gratitude."

Displaying his true emotions wasn't in Eddie's nature, but Rachel's words overwhelmed him. "I was in love with you long before I found out about your past."

"How long?"

"Ever since you helped me reconnect with Michael. While we were having dinner, all I could think about was you; there you were, with your enormous capacity for compassion and selflessness and I just thought, 'if she can do that for someone she only works with, imagine what she'd do for the one she goes home to at night.'"

Eddie's confession rendered Rachel speechless. So much so, she turned her attention back to the blue sky and clouds outside as she gathered her thoughts. "I'd do anything for you and Phillip, and Michael too now."

"Would you jump off a cliff for us?"

"Aside from that," she said. "OK, I'll rephrase. I'd do anything, within reason, for you, Phillip and Michael."

"That's better."

Eddie turned her head before leaning down to kiss her; Rachel briefly reciprocated before pulling back, "so, you'll talk to Phillip, yes?"

He nodded, "I promise."

Rachel kissed him once more, "thank you," she replied before casting about for a change in subject, "what's the time?"

Eddie glanced towards the bedside clock, "7:30."

"Breakfast? Shall we see if we can tempt Phillip out of bed with bagels?"

"That's a plan I can get on board with, let's do it!"

* * *

Rachel's decision to tempt Phillip out of bed with bagels worked. With the smell wafting upstairs, the young lad made it downstairs faster than either Rachel or Eddie believed possible. "Morning! I smelt bagels," Phillip said.

Eddie glanced at Rachel, then towards Phillip, "I'm not sure we've got enough for him and us, have we?"

Rachel laughed at how Phillip's face fell in response to Eddie's words, "he's winding you up," she said, administering a playful slap to Eddie's shoulder as she spoke. "There's plenty, I made sure of that yesterday. Pull up a stool and breakfast will soon be ready"

Their Sunday breakfasts were never as short and functional as they were during the week. That Sunday was no different, Rachel dished out the bagels, along with fillings of Nutella, peanut butter and cream cheese before joining her two favourite men at the breakfast bar. As with previous Sundays, the room was alive with chatter in between mouthfuls and Phillip loved the cordial atmosphere he found himself a part of. Living with Rachel was so different to living with Melissa, she asked him questions, quizzed him about his homework and what he'd been up to the previous day. Melissa did none of that, he retreated into a shell around her. As he sat at the breakfast bar with Rachel and Eddie, Phillip realised that he felt more at home here with Rachel than he ever had done with Melissa. Perhaps having Eddie around helped too, providing him with a stable environment in which he could be the stereotypical teenager. A few months ago, Phillip's thoughts of a stable home life had been nothing more than a pipedream. With Eddie moving in that day, the elusive pipedream was a step closer to becoming a reality. "I meant what I said last night," Phillip told the two adults as they finished breakfast, "I'd like to help with the move, if you'll let me."

Rachel and Eddie shared a look and a big grin split across Eddie's face as he turned back to Phillip. "Course you can help," Eddie replied, "does this mean we have your approval?"

"You've always had my approval, anyone that makes Rachel happy gets the thumbs up from me."

A few moments of silence elapsed before Phillip left them to it. The silence remained for several moments after the young lad's departure. "I guess they'll be no need for our man-to-man chat now," Eddie eventually muttered.

Rachel shrugged, "maybe not," she agreed. "Best see how today goes first."

Eddie nodded, "I will talk to him at some point though because I want to make sure he's OK with me kidnapping you for a week."

"It's not kidnap if I come willingly," Rachel pointed out.

"You get my drift though."

Rachel grinned, then rose from her stool; she approached Eddie and draped her arms over his shoulders from behind. "I can't wait for the summer holidays," she muttered before pressing a kiss to his jawline.

Eddie grinned before spinning around, kissing her before his hands landed upon her hips. "Me neither," he professed, "we'll have the time of our lives."

Rachel couldn't remember the last time she'd looked forward to the school summer holidays as much as she did this year. However, if she'd had an inkling of the dramas that lay ahead that summer for herself and Eddie, she might have taken back her words…

"Come on," Rachel muttered, prising Eddie's hands from her hips, "shall we follow Phillip's lead and get ourselves sorted for the day?"

Eddie pondered Rachel's suggestion for a moment, "yeah, I suppose we'd better. Sooner we get my place cleared, sooner we can be back here."

"You read my mind."

Eddie smiled back at his love, things were finally happening for the two of them, and he couldn't be any happier with the turn of events.

* * *

Upon arriving at Eddie's later that morning, he and Phillip quickly got to work in packing up, leaving Rachel feeling like a spare part. Because of his desire to protect Rachel and their unborn child, Eddie forbade her from doing any heavy-lifting. As a result, Rachel had to make do with keeping the two men hydrated and stuffing bin-bags filled with various items into her boot. Once the group were certain they'd get no more in, Rachel drove herself and Phillip back home, so he could unload and returned for the next lot.

With just one more trip, they'd moved everything of Eddie's in and after a break for lunch, he started unpacking. "I can't believe this is happening," Rachel blurted out later that afternoon as Eddie unpacked his clothes.

He glanced up at her, "not regretting it already, are you?"

A joyful laugh followed his words as Rachel shook her head, "no way, I never thought it was possible to be this happy."

Eddie rose from a kneeling position and approached his other half, "you deserve all the happiness in the world," he responded before leaning in to kiss her.

Rachel responded briefly before pulling away, "I never imagined that I'd get so lucky either."

"Rach, didn't we have a similar discussion last night?"

She laughed, "perhaps, I just wanted to say that… we're lucky to have found each other."

"Against all the odds."

"Isn't that what makes our love story unique? Overcoming obstacles insurmountable to others to get to where we are today."

"Rachel Mason's turning soppy," Eddie teased.

"I am not!" she exclaimed, "I'm just saying that it's not been an easy ride for us. I understand that I'm perhaps not the easiest person to be with at times and when things get tough, most people would walk away. You haven't."

"I never would."

A soft smile greeted Eddie's words as Rachel reached upwards to kiss a single kiss to his lips, "I'll leave you to finish unpacking. I'll check in with Phillip, see if he has any preference for dinner."

"How about we go out instead? I fancy a carvery, and I know just the place."

Rachel's face lit up, "your treat?"

"My treat."

"I'll go see what Phillip says while you finish unpacking."

Eddie nodded and watched as Rachel left the room before returning to his unpacking. He still couldn't believe he'd gotten so lucky.

* * *

"That was delicious," Phillip proclaimed upon finishing his main course.

Eddie nodded in agreement, "I don't think I could eat another thing," he added.

Rachel rolled her eyes at the two men, "are you suggesting we leave without having dessert?"

"You can have dessert if you wish, I just won't join you in that."

"Good," Rachel concluded, "I'll be back," she added, gesturing towards the ladies' toilets as she rose.

Once Rachel was out of earshot, Eddie seized the opportunity. "Phil, can I ask you something, while Rachel's not around."

Phillip nodded, "course, what is it?"

"I'd like to take Rachel away somewhere during the summer holidays and I just want to make sure you were fine with it before I book something."

A wide grin crossed Phillip's face at Eddie's words, "she deserves the break. After everything she's been through since starting at Waterloo Road, I reckon she's earned it."

"My thoughts exactly," Eddie said, "you don't mind then?"

"Nah, I'll be fine on my own, I'm used to it. I'll probably split my time between home and Bolton's."

The way Phillip called Rachel's place home filled Eddie with a sense of happiness. With all the upheaval he'd had since starting at Waterloo Road, it was the least he deserved. "I'll start looking at holiday destinations tomorrow then."

"Any ideas?"

Eddie nodded and Rachel re-joined them before he could answer. "Right, dessert," she announced upon picking up the menu, "Phillip?"

Phillip nodded as he moved around the table to peer over Rachel's shoulder at the menu. To him, it was the perfect evening, and he had no desire to call it a night just yet.

* * *

Upon arriving back at Rachel's, Phillip disappeared upstairs while the two adults retreated to the living room after fixing some drinks; a glass of orange juice for Rachel and a can of beer for Eddie. "How do you feel about tomorrow?" he asked as they sat down.

A confused look crossed Rachel's face, "tomorrow?"

With Eddie's move being front and centre in her mind, she'd forgotten they were going public with the staff the next day. "Yeah, tomorrow, you and me, going public."

Rachel took a sip from her glass of orange juice before responding. "Oh yeah. Sorry, it slipped my mind, what with you moving in and everything. I'm fine with it, we can't keep it a secret forever and now's as good a time as any to come clean."

"As long as you're OK with it," he said, taking a swig from his can before pressing a kiss to Rachel's forehead.

"You'd know if I wasn't OK with it."

"I don't doubt that for a second," Eddie said as Rachel reached for the remote.

Their conversation lapsed as she turned on the television and snuggled into Eddie's embrace.

It didn't take long for Eddie to realise Rachel was getting sleepy, she kept dozing off against his arm so when he suggested they go to bed, she readily agreed. He surmised that the events of the day, coupled with the pregnancy, had tired her out more than she'd cared to admit. The two of them readied themselves for bed, spoken words sparse as they did so. Soon after slipping underneath the duvet, Rachel and Eddie fell asleep, tiredness beating them but both were happier knowing they never had to spend a night apart again.


	9. Fronting Up

_Hello everyone! Yes, I am still here!_

_Sorry it's taken me so long to update, it's been a mentally-challenging few weeks and I felt I just needed to take a step back and focus on taking care of myself for a while._

_Thank you so much for all the reviews, they make me smile so much :D_

_x_

* * *

**Chapter Nine: Fronting Up**

"Rach, if you've changed your mind, we can do this another day," Eddie said as she watched Phillip cross the school car-park.

Rachel turned to face him, a soft smile lighting up her face as Eddie stared back at her. For weeks, she'd struggled with the idea of going public with their relationship; if he'd had his way, he'd have shouted it from the rooftops the day they got together. However, he understood her concerns about how it would look to their colleagues. He understood them, but didn't share him. As he'd told Rachel some time ago, it wasn't as if staff-room romances were unheard of at Waterloo Road. Eventually, she came to see his point of view, but that didn't mean she enjoyed inviting the attention. "If we don't do it today Eddie, I don't know when we will," she admitted, "I'm ready."

"If you're sure…"

"I am," Rachel said, "I won't be able to hide the pregnancy for much longer."

Eddie grinned as Rachel's hand descend to her stomach; it was something he noticed she did whenever they mentioned the pregnancy in conversation. It warmed his heart hugely to know she already felt such a connection to their unborn child. "OK then, let's do this," he said, breaking the silence.

The couple clambered out of Rachel's Mazda, and he retrieved their bags. Once she'd locked both the boot and car, they headed for the main entrance, both wondering how to broach their relationship with the staff body. However, their thoughts were in vain, for someone else beat them to it…

* * *

"Morning!" Steph called out in greeting upon entering the staff-room.

Matt merely grunted in response, "you're too cheery for a Monday morning," he grumbled, rising from his seat before joining the blonde in the kitchenette.

"That's because I believe I shall reap the reward of our little bet for the next week and a half."

"What bet?" Matt questioned, feigning innocence.

"Don't play the innocence card with me Matt, we made a deal. I'd make your coffee every break and lunchtime for a week and a half if I didn't have proof to substantiate my theory by this morning, and vice versa."

"So, you have proof?"

A grin broke out upon Steph's face, "you bet."

At that moment, Tom joined them, "what's going on here?" he questioned, having caught the tail-end of Steph and Matt's conversation.

"Steph allegedly has proof of Rachel and Eddie's relationship," Matt replied, filling him in.

Steph pulled a face, "there is nothing alleged about my proof. This is a smoking gun."

"Let's see it then, if it's as incriminating as you're suggesting," Tom said.

At Tom's request, Steph reached into her handbag and drew out her phone. After a few moments of navigation to find the file she wanted, Tom and Matt put their head over each of Steph's shoulders to view the footage. Matt quickly became impatient, "that's not proof," he stated. "I can't see anything, the footage is too grainy."

"But not too grainy to see what's happening," Steph pointed out as two figures approached the silver car she'd filmed, "bingo," she added as Rachel and Eddie embraced.

Matt sighed, "there's a name for people like you."

Steph grinned, "coffee please Matt."

"Uh, break and lunchtimes, that was the agreement."

"Call it a dummy run."

Matt rolled his eyes before reaching across to boil the kettle, Steph would hold this victory over him for years to come.

* * *

Eddie cast an intent gaze over Rachel as the pair wandered into her office. He knew she was thinking over their decision to tell the staff about them that morning and probably allowing her mind to leap straightaway to the worst-case scenario. They'd barely exchanged two words since getting out of the car. As they walked down the corridors and climbed the stairs to her office, Eddie watched as his partner disappeared and the head-teacher returned. He loved both, but after spending so much time with her these past couple of days, he wanted his partner back. "Ready for this?" Eddie questioned, breaking the silence.

Rachel met his gaze, a sense of assurance creeping over her as the energy generated by his smile infused her, "I'm as ready as I'll ever be," she replied.

As she spoke, Rachel had a vague recollection of one previous time where she'd uttered those words. That time, they met with the chair of governors, the DFES and other local dignitaries to pitch ROCBEC. This time, they were facing the staff and going public with their relationship. Rachel decided that she'd rather face the governors again than the staff body. But, she accepted that transparency was paramount, now more than ever.

Eddie shot her another reassuring smile before following her out of the office and down the corridor.

Upon approaching the staff-room, Rachel stopped briefly in the doorway to gather herself. Eddie's fingers entwined themselves around hers, offering the comfort and reassurance he knew she needed. Given the setting, Eddie couldn't do as much to reassure her as he'd like, so settled for what he could. The smile Rachel gave him was recognition that she knew what he'd wanted to do; it was enough to give her the strength to walk through those doors and put herself and their relationship in the firing line. As they noticed the two new arrivals, the general buzz of staff-room chatter died down. Rachel whittled through the notices for that week before getting to their own announcement. "That's all for this week, but before you disappear, myself and Eddie have something to announce."

"Here we go," Steph muttered, leaning towards Matt.

Even Grantly, whose attention rarely deviated from his Racing Post, looked interested. Eddie caught Rachel's sideways glance and stepped forwards, slipping his hand into hers. The staff noted the gesture, despite already knowing what this announcement was. Steph clued everyone in beforehand, even though only three people had seen the proof. "We've been seeing each other for about six weeks now," Rachel declared.

She likened the process to ripping off a plaster. If it's done quickly, it might be less painful. A period of silence greeted her words, which neither Rachel nor Eddie expected, so they'd not prepared for the lack of questions. Eventually, Tom piped up to break the silence, "yeah, we already know."

Rachel and Eddie cast a glance at each other before turning back to the staff, "how?" she queried.

Eddie somehow resisted rolling his eyes as all eyes turned towards the guilty party, "Steph?"

The blonde glanced at the couple after an awkward silence, Matt piped up, "Steph here has been taking the art of stalking to new heights."

"Really? How so?"

"She filmed your embrace at Rochdale train station on Friday evening."

Rachel seethed at Steph invading her and Eddie's privacy, "Steph!"

She had the grace to look guiltily up at both Rachel and Eddie before uttering a response, "I didn't realise it was a secret."

Eddie laughed, he saw that as a typical Steph response, "it certainly isn't now," he replied.

"Anything else to tell us?" Grantly questioned in his usual drawl.

Rachel cast a look at Eddie, wondering whether they perhaps knew about the pregnancy too. "No, that's all, have a good week," Eddie replied.

As expected, the chatter started up as Rachel and Eddie retreated from the room. "That didn't go so bad now, did it?" he questioned.

Rachel glanced at him, conflicting of emotions of relief and anger etched into her features, "you sound as if you approve of Steph's invasion of our privacy," she responded.

Eddie sighed, he should have known Steph's methods would get Rachel's back up. "It's Steph, that's what she does, it's not harming anyone. Plus, it means they'll be off our backs for a while whilst they settle the betting pool."

"When did you find out about that?" she asked as they started the short walk back to her office.

"After me and Melissa split, Tom told me they'd settled it after our engagement but he reckoned Steph or Grantly would have it going again by lunchtime."

Rachel rolled her eyes as she pushed open the ante-chamber door, "you're teaching next, aren't you?" she questioned, a sad intonation present in her voice.

Eddie nodded, "year nine's, but I've got a free after break. Need to catch up on some marking."

A smirk crossed Rachel's face before a playful tut left her lips, "neglecting your marking Lawson, whatever next?"

"Don't tell me you never did it," Eddie retorted.

The incessant ringing of the school bell broke up their back-and-forth exchange, which saddened Rachel, "see you at break?"

She grinned, then watched him walk the short distance from the ante-chamber to his classroom. Once Eddie turned into his classroom, Rachel retreated to her office, unable to wipe the smile from her face. As she settled into the chair behind her desk, she remembered the promise she'd made Eddie over breakfast that morning. The promise that she'd book a doctor's appointment, so that plans were in place for her ante-natal care. Reaching for the phone, thumbed through her diary, then dialled the number for the surgery. "Hello? Yes, I'd like to book an appointment please," she said to the receptionist upon getting through.

* * *

Rachel's expectation was that Eddie would appear in her office doorway within minutes of the bell sounding for break-time. He'd worked it into his routine ever since they'd gotten together and now the staff knew, there was no reason to deviate from what had become the norm. A few minutes passed, and Eddie still hadn't shown up. A frown creased Rachel's face as she pondered where he was. Then, a knock upon the door soon brought her back to the present, "you thought I'd forgotten, didn't you?" Eddie questioned, noting Rachel's easily read expression.

She shrugged, "maybe I had,"

"I nipped down to the kitchen," Eddie said, explaining away his absence by presenting her with a stack of toast. "You didn't have much breakfast, so I thought you'd fancy a snack now, if you can stomach it."

Rachel smiled at her partner's thoughtfulness. It reaffirmed her belief that she must have done something remarkable in a past life to have Eddie in this one. "Rose and Candice let you loose in their kitchen? Brave women."

Eddie shook his head, "no, I begged them to make a stack for me. Spun a story about wanting a snack so I didn't have to disclose the real reason."

Rachel bit into the top slice before remembering the phone-call she'd made earlier, "I rung the doctor's earlier, as promised," she told him after swallowing.

"And?"

"There was a cancellation, so I'm booked in for 4:30 this afternoon, can you come with me?"

Eddie strode across the room and rounded the desk. He perched upon its edge before pressing a soft kiss to Rachel's forehead. "I'm there for you every step of the way through this pregnancy Rach, every doctor's appointment, every scan, if I can be there, I will be."

A rush of affection overcame Rachel as his words sunk in; she'd never had this level of support from a partner, or anyone else in her life. To have it come her way after such a tumultuous eighteen months made realise how different her life was pre-Eddie. "Thank you," Rachel responded.

"You never need to doubt my commitment to this relationship."

"I don't, I've never had reason to."

Eddie grinned, he was about to lean across and kiss her properly when the bell signalling the end of break-time sounded in the corridors. "You'd best get back to work," Rachel said, breaking the contented silence.

He huffed, then rose from his perch, "do I have to?" he pouted.

Rachel laughed, "your marking won't do itself."

Eddie conceded defeat, she had a point, "I'll see you at lunchtime."

She nodded, "definitely," she replied. Her lips curved into a smile as Eddie kissed the top of her head before walking away, "thanks for the toast."

He turned in her office doorway, "no problem," he responded before blowing her a kiss.

She pretended to catch it, then threw one back as he left. The smile upon her face remained as she pulled a slice of toast from the stack before returning to her paperwork.

* * *

_Please keep reviewing, I really do appreciate them. I'll try not to leave it three weeks before I update again!_

_x_


	10. Our Story

_Hey everyone, I'm back!_

_Now, I remember I said I'd try not to leave it three weeks until I posted again but I've really been struggling to find my mojo again, I'm hoping posting the chapter that I've had on my laptop for nearly two months will help motivate me again!_

_x_

* * *

**Chapter Ten: Our Story**

It did not surprise Rachel when Eddie burst into her office a few minutes after the lunch bell had sounded. What surprised her, however, was the thunderous look of annoyance etched into his features as he did so. Rachel almost didn't ask her next question, "nice morning?"

Eddie huffed out a breath, "if you call Steph wanting to know the ins and outs of your love-life a 'nice morning', then no."

In response, Rachel pulled a face, "oh no. Perhaps I can improve things?"

Eddie's expression changed in an instant as he closed the office door, then slid across the privacy before striding towards Rachel's desk. She spun around as he rounded the desk; before too long, her lips closed in upon his and instigated a kiss. A single nip to Eddie's bottom lip was it all took to up the ante as his lips parted against hers. For several moments, they lost themselves in an avalanche of feelings, shutting off the outside world. Rachel broke away, smiling as she rested her forehead against Eddie's, "better?" she muttered, fingers stroking over his jawline.

"Much," Eddie replied, "just being with you makes everything better."

Rachel's heart soared at his words, "I love you."

Eddie grinned, "I love you too," he responded before bringing her attention to the plastic bag in his hand, "now, I brought lunch… as you're eating for two."

Tears sprung to Rachel's eyes, pregnancy hormones already playing havoc with her emotions, "I really don't deserve you."

"Oh, you do, more than you realise."

Rachel grinned upon drawing back and together, they settled upon the sofa and ate. By the time they'd devoured their sandwiches, there wasn't long of the lunch hour left. Eddie cast a sideways glance at Rachel and smiled; even after tiptoeing around each other for months and six weeks of being together, he had to pinch himself sometimes to believe this was even happening. Eddie never imagined that she'd be interested in him in the same way he was in her; she was way out of his league, but still interested. This was his dream becoming a reality, him and Rachel together, expecting a baby. What could be more perfect? Rachel giggled, "Eddie, you must quit staring at some point," she paused, "are you OK?"

Eddie shook himself out of his trance before replying, "I'm fine," he insisted, "I'm just so happy. I can't believe this is happening; you, me and our little baby," he added, clutching at Rachel's hand and entwining their fingers.

"Well, believe it darling, I'm not going anywhere."

"Good, me neither," Eddie replied before leaning across to kiss her.

Rachel responded briefly before the bell rang to signal the start of afternoon lessons. She leant her forehead against his, "I'd better let you go."

Rising from the sofa, Eddie nodded, "have fun with your paperwork," he said, gesturing towards the scattered papers.

"I shall… not!"

Eddie laughed, then opened the office door, stealing one last glance at Rachel before heading off to his classroom and his Year 7 Maths lesson.

* * *

As the bell tolled to signal the school day's end, Eddie dismissed his form group and watched as they filed out into the corridor. Phillip joined the throng of students wandering the corridor but stopped outside Eddie's door. He waited until the last student left before approaching the desk, "can you pass on a message to Rachel for me?" the lad questioned.

"Course."

"Just let her know that I'm going to the bowling alley with Bolton and some others tonight so I'll be back later this evening."

"I'll pass that on, have a wonderful time mate."

"Thanks," Phillip said before turning on his heel and leaving the room.

Eddie watched the lad retreat before packing away his laptop and the student's exercise books for the day. After rising from his seat, Eddie walked the familiar path to Rachel's office. He pushed open the ante-chamber door, smiled at Joyce as he passed her desk before poking his head around Rachel's office door. She glanced up from her papers, "good afternoon?"

"Not bad, but I reckon it's about to improve," Eddie responded.

"Flatterer."

"Truth-teller."

"Have you seen Phillip?" Rachel asked, changing the subject.

Eddie nodded, "yeah, just now. He's heading to the bowling alley with Bolton and some other lads tonight. Said he'd be back later this evening."

"Least we know where he is," Rachel commented before casting her eyes down towards her desktop.

"I'll help tidy up," Eddie said as he strode towards the desk. Rachel smiled and didn't stop him as he gathered up the various bits of paper strewn across the desk.

"Thank you so much,"

Eddie pressed a soft kiss to Rachel's cheek before responding, "it's a pleasure. Plus, it gives me a chance to show off my good deputy credentials."

"You always were a good deputy; I remember how highly Ria Cheetham spoke of you before I even arrived here."

At the mention of Ria, Eddie's thoughts hurtled back to over those last eighteen months as he wondered what might have happened if they'd gotten together sooner. "Remember what I said yesterday?"

"Which bit?" Rachel questioned as her gaze met his.

"Me telling you when I realised I was in love with you," Eddie replied, Rachel nodded but didn't interrupt, allowing him to carry on. "Do you think things might've been different had I told you how I felt sooner?"

To Rachel, the question seemed impossible to answer. She likened it to the one she posed to Eddie only a few days ago about her pregnancy and whether it was too soon. "Eddie, there's no point dwelling upon it, we could play the 'What If?' game all day long and get nowhere. Everything that's happened… it's all part of our story, something to tell the kids when they ask."

Only one word of Rachel's speech registered with Eddie, which he then voiced back to her, "kids?"

Rachel smiled, hoping he'd pick up on that, "maybe I'd like more after this one," she mused out loud, "but we'll see how one goes first."

Eddie nodded in agreement, "speaking of that one child, we'd best be getting off… your appointment."

Rachel nodded as, with Eddie's help, she gathered up her bags and followed him out of the office.

* * *

"This is all starting to feel real now," she admitted as she settled in the driver's seat, clutching the various pamphlets she'd had handed on to her.

"In a good way or…" Eddie trailed off, leaving his statement open so Rachel could jump in.

She nodded, "course but… I've never really had anything to do with babies, Phillip was older when I re-connected with Melissa, what if I'm not cut out for motherhood?"

Eddie reached for her hand, clutching it in a gesture of support, "it's natural to think like that," he assured her. "Alison was bricking it at the thought of having twins. I promise Rach, I won't let you fail."

His words did their job, "thank you," she responded.

"My pleasure," he paused, "now where? Back to ours?"

A contented sigh left Rachel's lips at those words, it seemed so right to hear him say that, "ours?"

"Well, that's what it is now," Eddie said, "Steph mentioned something about drinks at the pub, fancy it?"

Rachel shook her head as she stroked a thumb across the back of Eddie's hand, "I just fancy a quiet night in," she admitted. "Plus, if we go and I don't drink, the staff will ask questions and I reckon we've disclosed enough to them today, don't you?"

"A quiet night in sounds perfect," Eddie replied as he leant over to press a kiss to Rachel's forehead. "As for the staff finding out, when do you suggest we tell them? You can't hide it forever, sweetheart."

Rachel smiled at Eddie's affectionate term of endearment, "what?" he queried.

"No-one's ever called me their sweetheart before."

"So, I'm the first?"

"Yes, and I'd be perfectly happy for you to be the only one."

Eddie smiled at Rachel's last words as he thought about how to proceed. Part of him wanted to follow with something equally sentimental, however, the other wanted to know when she wanted to disclose their other secret. "So, when do you suggest we tell the staff?" Eddie asked again.

"Ideally, I want to wait until I'm past the danger period, but if anyone asks outright before then, I won't lie. I'll have my first scan in the summer holidays, so if we can hold off until the start of next term…"

"I can deal with that, as much as I want to shout it from the rooftops, I'll leave that decision up to you."

Rachel smiled at him before pressing a soft kiss to his lips, she didn't linger long before pulling away, "let's get back to ours, we've got an empty house, remember?"

Eddie grinned as first he then Rachel fastened their seatbelts before she started the engine and drove out of the car-park.

Their future looked bright, but for how long would it remain so?

* * *

_Keep the reviews coming, I love reading them so much and I'll try and do better with my updates!_

_x_


	11. Striking Gold

_Hello loves! I'm back, not gonna lie, I didn't think I'd be coming back with an update so quickly. However, we're in lockdown so what else do I have to do?! I'm still working as I'm classed as a key-worker (I'm in retail), but don't worry, I'm not letting the current situation get me down._

_Stay safe all of you x_

* * *

**Chapter Eleven: Striking Gold**

As the end of term approached, Rachel noticed the extent to which Eddie and Phillip's relationship had evolved since he moved in. She often found them engaged in conversation, whether at home or at school. Sometimes, their conversations stopped as she approached, making her wonder what exactly was going on. Every time she questioned them, they clammed up; both made various excuses for their behaviour, but Rachel bought none of them. Maybe she'd have bought their explanations if Phillip could look her in the eye.

"That was close," Phillip muttered as Rachel stalked down the corridor before turning back to Eddie, "I thought she'd rumbled us."

"Same mate, same," Eddie replied.

"Can you please tell her about this holiday soon? I hate lying to her."

"Relax, it's all in hand, I've got a plan. I'm cooking for her after the last day of term and I promise, I'll tell her then. Hopefully she'll then understand why we've been so secretive recently."

"She's lucky to have you, y'know."

At this, a slight smile creased Eddie's face as he shrugged, "I think that's me."

The bell rang overhead, signalling an end to break-time, "I'd better get off to class," Phillip muttered as he walked away.

"Phil!" Eddie called after him, the lad turned around, "not a word."

Phillip nodded, "yes sir," he responded, following up with a jokey salute before heading off to his lesson.

Eddie sighed as climbed the two flights of stairs to his own classroom, only two days to go.

* * *

Rachel rose first on the last day of term, silencing the alarm clock, whose piercing ring broke the peaceful silence at 6am. After doing so, she flopped back against the pillow, allowing herself a few moments to awaken before rising for the day. A smile rose as Eddie's arm tightened around her; she shivered as his warm breath tickled her bare skin. He found the spot that never failed to bring forth a gasp of pleasure, kissing her there before whispering, "just five more minutes, Rach."

Rachel fought to suppress a smirk at Eddie's antics. He'd pulled that trick every single weekday morning since moving in. Occasionally, she succumbed, thus delaying their arrival at the school. However, another five minutes was a luxury Rachel could not afford that day. Despite it being the last day of term, Rachel and Eddie's workloads remained relentless to the end. "Oh no. We're not playing that game today."

At this, Rachel shrugged off Eddie's arm before rising from their bed and approaching the windows. As she flung open the curtains, he reached for her pillow, hiding behind it to block out the sunlight which streamed into the room. "What game is this?" Eddie questioned, feigning innocence.

Rachel turned back towards their bed as she took in the sight before her struggled to suppress a smile. "You know damn well what game, Lawson," she said, climbing onto the bed before mounting him. There was a pause, a pause in which she flung her pillow to the side, then met his gaze before continuing. "The game in which five minutes becomes ten, which then becomes fifteen and ends up being thirty. Eddie, I don't have time for this today."

He huffed before raising his eyebrows in response, "what do you have time for?"

Eddie saw the sparkle in Rachel's eyes and somehow realised what was coming next. She smiled down at him, "now you mention it…"

A free hand cradled his jaw-line before bringing her lips down upon his to instigate a kiss. Eddie fought the fog of sleepiness that still engulfed him and responded. His hands cradled Rachel's thighs before slipping beneath her pyjama top; at the contact, she broke away, a laugh escaping. Before she could lean back over and re-establish contact, a familiar feeling of nausea crept over her. "I'll be back," she muttered, rolling away from him before scampering to the bathroom.

He sighed upon sitting up, then winced as he heard Rachel in the bathroom. Seconds later, he followed, wanting to offer whatever she needed.

* * *

Once Rachel deemed her stomach had settled enough to eat, she joined Eddie and Phillip in the kitchen. "You OK?" Eddie questioned, his tone full of concern.

Rachel nodded, "better, thanks."

He approached, pressing a kiss to the side of her head before retreating. Eddie put two slices of bread into the toaster, then sat down at the breakfast bar to finish his own. At that moment, Phillip rose from his stool, depositing his cereal bowl in the sink. "Did you want a lift in Phillip?" Rachel asked as she leant against the kitchen work-top.

"I'm walking with Bolton and Paul again," Phillip replied, "I hope that's OK."

A smile rose as Phillip spoke. She marvelled at the lack of Melissa present in her nephew's personality. In these past weeks, he'd come out of his shell, settled at Waterloo Road and finally made friends. A glorious sense of pride settled in Rachel as she thought about the steps forward he'd made without Melissa's destructive presence. "Course, you need never ask, remember that," she responded, cutting short their conversation as her toast popped out.

Phillip smiled at his Aunt before returning to the breakfast to finish his orange juice. "As Phillip doesn't want a lift in, why don't we walk as well?" Eddie asked.

Eddie's suggestion baffled Rachel; not once since she'd told him of her pregnancy had, he suggested they walk into school. It was getting towards the height of summer, so they'd had more pleasant days than not recently, so why suggest they walk now?

A silence followed as Rachel took a bite from her toast, "why?"

Eddie shrugged, "it's a lovely day out there," he replied, inventing wildly, "plus, the fresh air might do you good."

They knew each other so well and Rachel realised that while Eddie had her best interests at heart, something was amiss. She didn't miss the sideways glance he shot at Phillip after she'd answered his initial question; the gesture added more weight to Rachel's idea, her idea that they were up to something. However, it was the last day of term and she had no desire to argue with either of her favourite people. Rachel therefore dropped it, hoping that either would unburden themselves soon. "OK, let's do it."

Relief surged through Eddie as Rachel agreed. Keeping the details of their summer holiday from her was torturous. He'd kept it secret for this long though, another eight hours was nothing in comparison.

* * *

"See you later Phillip!" Rachel called from the front step as she locked the front door after herself and Eddie.

"Why must we to leave so early?" Eddie questioned as Rachel joined him.

A soft smile lit up her face at the childish intonation in her partner's voice. "Babe, a headteacher never stops," she replied whilst stowing away her keys.

Eddie merely tutted and shoved a hand into his pocket, entwining his fingers with Rachel's as they began their walk, "it's a bloody good job I love you. I know you'll give everything you have to our school until you to move on."

Rachel's smile stretched further across her face as Eddie's understanding words washed over her. "I think I struck gold when we got together."

A nod of agreement from Eddie followed Rachel's statement, "I feel the same," Eddie responded, "I just wish we'd got to this point sooner, if…"

Rachel silenced him with a finger upon his lips, "none of that matters anymore," she insisted. "We're together and we've got our future ahead of us; me, you, Phillip and our baby. I can't wait to find out what's in store for us."

"Me neither."

Silence fell between the couple as they continued their walk. Rachel eventually broke it, "can I tell you something, Eddie?"

He stopped in his tracks, "course."

She glanced up at him; an overwhelming sense of affection and belonging had swirled within her since their conversation in their driveway. Rachel needed to voice those feelings now. "I've never loved you more than right now. I know my dedication to work drives you up the wall sometimes because I can't switch off. You understand why I do this job, and why I go to such extraordinary lengths to help those in need. What I'm trying to say is… I couldn't have a more supportive partner or deputy, so thank you."

Another silence fell as Eddie digested Rachel's words. His response came in the form of a laugh, "is this Rachel Mason talking or Rachel Mason's hormones?"

Rachel laughed with him, "perhaps a bit of both," she admitted, "you put up with a lot and I wanted you to know what that means to me."

"Rachel," he muttered as he enfolded her in an embrace, "I realise why you're so passionate. I understand that you don't wish to fail any of the kids in the way you were at school. Why do I get all of that? Because I know you Rach, I'd like to think I know you better than most people."

At this, Rachel smiled, "no-one gets me like you," she replied. "Melissa only thinks she does."

It was the first time since Phillip's birthday that Melissa's name had cropped up in conversation. Both agreed to never mention her name again, and until that moment, they'd stuck to it. Rachel spoke up, wanting to move on from the Melissa aspect of the conversation, "I love you."

"I love you too, always," he responded, pressing a single kiss to Rachel's waiting lips before carrying on their walk.

Waterloo Road soon came into their field of vision and Rachel realised she wanted to make this walk into work a regular thing. "I feel as if now is the time to make something clear," Eddie announced as he slowed to a stop.

Rachel quirked an eyebrow, curiosity biting at her, "oh yeah?"

Eddie brought Rachel closer, draping an arm over her shoulder before he spoke. "Once the school day's over and done with, we're not setting foot in here again until September, aside from Results Day."

In a past life, Rachel would have wondered how she'd pass the six week summer break. Now, however, she relished the prospect of having six weeks to spend with both Eddie and Phillip, making plans for their future.

As Rachel tucked herself into Eddie's side, she glanced up at him with a look that encompassed everything she felt for him at that moment. "Good, wouldn't want this place to spoil our first summer together."

Rachel's response made Eddie's heart swell; he couldn't love her more if he tried.

* * *

_Please keep the reviews coming, you have no idea how much they lift me when I need it!_

_x_


	12. Eat Your Heart Out

_Hello guys! I'm back once again. I might stop apologising for the delays in updating at some point, but obviously that's not happening at the moment ;)_

_So, those of you that follow me on Twitter (if not XxgemidodgerxX) will know I've been pretty busy in the last eight days, so here's chapter one of five I've written since I finished work last Saturday._

_x_

* * *

**Chapter Twelve: Eat Your Heart Out**

For once, doom, disaster and destruction did not befall Waterloo Road on the term's last day; there were no menacing figures lurking in corridors, intent on revealing Rachel's darkest secret. No explosions and therefore, no calls to the emergency services. A sense of fun and excitement imbued the school that day; for some, one chapter closed that day, and another began. For those that remained, there was excitement at the thought of six glorious week's of holiday stretching ahead of them.

The last bell sounded and Rachel stood in the playground, watching her students spill out of the doors. Some milled about in groups around her, sharing one final conversation and others darted straight for the gates, glad of six weeks respite from the place. She smiled as she spotted Phillip, larking around in the car-park with Bolton and Paul. He'd made plans with them that night, mentioning something about an end-of-year party. Meaning she and Eddie were home-alone, little knowing that that was the way Eddie had planned it to be.

Eddie joined her moments later, his hands cradling her hips as the crowd dispersed. The affectionate gesture surprised Rachel, but she soon leant back against him. Eddie's chin rested upon her shoulder. "Please say we're leaving Miss Mason at the school gates today,"

A soft smile rose on Rachel's face, "leaving Miss Mason at the gates huh?" she questioned. "Are you sure having six weeks of plain old Rachel won't be boring for you?"

"After the nonsense we've had thrown at us this term, I'd settle for boring. But, I could never see you as plain old Rachel, that's not you; you're extraordinary."

Her cheeks flushed, "oh, I don't know about that."

"I do," Eddie insisted, spinning Rachel around so she faced him. "I can only speak as someone who knows you as you are, not who you were before. To recognise the toxicity of the situation you were in and escape takes guts. A quality that resonates in such abundance within you, as Rachel."

She sensed there was more, but jumped in regardless, "before you carry on, can I say something?"

"Course."

"Staring down the barrel of that gun scared me more than anything else."

Eddie nodded, "understandable. The mental scars that remained from the fire can't have helped."

"Not just that, I wasn't ready to return, but I did; I craved normality, thought being back here would help. How wrong was I?" she said as a mirthless laugh left her.

"Maybe initially, it was the wrong decision. But you bounced back, and that took a remarkable amount of strength. To even consider returning to the place where you almost died shows that you possess a degree of fearlessness I cannot imagine."

Rachel's emotions, already wobbly because of the pregnancy, took another hit as Eddie spoke so passionately about her. Until then, she'd only seen occasional glimmers of what he thought about her. Sure, she knew he loved her, but only then did she understand the sheer weight of admiration he had for her. "I've never been one for sitting still, I'd rather just roll my sleeves up and get on with it."

"Perhaps that's something we should change before Baby Lawson arrives," Eddie teased.

He had no desire to change her as a person, he only wanted to ensure she started putting herself first more. "Maybe," she paused, "now, carry on."

Amidst all of Rachel's admissions, Eddie almost lost his thread. "So, we've covered your guts and fearlessness. Let's move on to your kind-heartedness. You're the most selfless person I know, there's a generosity of spirit within you that makes you the perfect headteacher. The kids don't know how lucky they are to have a figure-head like you for their school. You relate to them better than most because of your similar experiences.

"I've probably talked about your best qualities for long enough, but I'll finish by mentioning your beauty and intelligence. You perhaps won't believe this, but there was something about you I rather liked on that first day; I guess you could say I saw the attraction even then, I just didn't show it. I was mad at myself for being attracted to the woman who took the job they had assured me was mine. As for your intelligence, having had similar struggles to these kids, you've tapped in to what they need, and have done your absolute best to provide that since you started. So, you'll never be Plain Old Rachel to me. If our baby has even half of those qualities, we'll have done well."

"Our baby?" A voice questioned from the doorway.

Their gazes met with the owner of the voice; Kim. The secret was out. "How much of that did you hear?" Rachel queried.

"Only the last bit," Kim replied, "when were you planning on sharing?"

"Start of next term. Kim, I wanted to tell you, but… call me oversensitive if you like but I was, perhaps still am, paranoid about anything happening. This is my first, after all.

Kim nodded, understanding now why her friend kept her in the dark. "Congratulations, both of you," she said, her genuine happiness for the pair shining through in the tone of her voice.

"Thanks Kim," Eddie replied.

"I'll keep schtum, don't worry," Kim assured the pair, "are you coming to the pub?"

"Yeah, I promised the first round would be on me at this morning's staff briefing."

Kim laughed, "yeah, I'd forgotten that," she said, "I'll see you there."

Rachel watched as she wandered across the playground and then the car-park, "must we go?" she questioned.

Eddie chuckled at the childish edge to Rachel's voice, "you promised our staff you'd buy the first round. Steph and Grantly are probably only there for that reason."

"True."

"If it makes you feel better, we only have to stay for that one round, two at a push."

"I can live with that," Rachel murmured, casting her eyes across the car-park and watching as Kim drove off. "We walked in this morning, why is your car over there?"

Rachel's question surprised Eddie, "I left something at the house, so went back during lunch to get it," he responded, inventing wildly for the second time that day.

Her eyes narrowed in suspicion but stopped herself from asking further questions. If Eddie was up to something, he'd come clean of his own free will soon enough. "OK," she said, lifting the metaphorical weight from Eddie's shoulders, "shall we get our stuff and go?"

"Yes, let's, the sooner we get there, the sooner we can start our summer holiday."

At those words, a grin spread across Rachel's face, "you read my mind."

* * *

Upon arriving at the pub, Rachel and Eddie approached the bar to order their drinks. An orange juice for her and a pint of bitter for him. Afterwards, she paid off the tab Steph and Grantly started in her absence before joining their colleagues. Jasmine stepped aside, allowing Eddie and Rachel to sit between herself and Tom. At that moment, conversation segued into the various plans they had for the summer. Tom announced he'd be spending quality time with Chlo and Donte's baby daughter, Izzie. Afterwards, the question passed over to Eddie and Rachel and neither gave a concrete answer. Rachel didn't because while they'd discussed holiday plans, she presumed he'd dropped the idea as they'd not spoken about it since. Eddie didn't because he hadn't yet told Rachel of his plans for their romantic retreat.

Both breathed a sigh of relief as the conversation moved on. The staff soon split off into various cliques, venturing into various corners of the pub, leaving Rachel and Eddie alone. Tom's words about baby Izzie got her thinking. That would hopefully be herself and Eddie in a year's time, spending proper, quality time together as a family of three. Eddie sensed Rachel had disappeared into her thoughts as it took him a few moments to gain her attention. "Are you OK, Rach?" he queried.

Rachel nodded as she sipped, "just thinking about what Tom said, that'll be us this time next year."

"It will be, and I can't wait."

"Me neither," Rachel said as she drained the contents of her glass and rose from her seat, "just nipping to the ladies'."

She gave Eddie's arm a gentle squeeze before walking away. In Rachel's absence, Eddie joined Tom and Jasmine at the nearby pool-table. He joined their conversation and watched as they played shots. A few minutes passed and Rachel had yet to emerge, which concerned him. Eddie drained his glass, then excused himself from Tom and Jasmine's company before heading off towards the toilets. He breathed a sigh of relief as Rachel followed Kim out of the ladies toilets. "What took you so long?" he questioned as she approached.

Rachel's answer was not forthcoming; instead, she took Eddie's hand, and they disappeared into the beer garden at the back of the pub. Finding a bench away from the revellers, they sat down. "Kim took me to one side," she explained, "I think she's worried our relationship's moving too fast."

"And what business is it of hers?" Eddie questioned, firing up straightaway.

This was what Rachel wanted to avoid. Eddie and Kim didn't get along at the best of times and she'd hoped they'd be able to put aside their differences for her, apparently not. "She cares, Eddie. She's Head of Pastoral and that can extend to us too. I've talked to her, told her that this is what we both want and we're happy; she seemed to accept that. Eddie, I get that you two have clashed in the past and don't get on, but can you please try to set that to one side for me? I don't want to play mediator between the pair of you anymore."

"OK, OK Rach, I'll do my best."

The smile rising upon her face told Eddie he'd done the right thing. Rachel leant forwards, pressing her lips to his. A brief response followed, but then she pulled away and rested her head against his shoulder. Silence descended between them before Eddie saw fit to break it, "let's get out of here."

Rachel's head darted up from its place upon his shoulder, "we can't sneak off, we're the Head and Deputy!" she replied horror-struck by the suggestion.

"Not anymore, just Rachel and Eddie now. I promised we only had to stay for the first round, we've done that. You brought that round so you've fulfilled your promise."

Eddie still sensed Rachel was reluctant to leave without saying goodbye to their colleagues, "we should say goodbye," she muttered.

While her words suggested she understood saying goodbye would be polite, sneaking off without a word thrilled her. "If I was to say I'd made plans for us tonight, would that change your mind?"

Eddie's question had the desired effect upon Rachel; he knew her well enough to understand that while she was fine with the staff knowing about their relationship, she'd rather keep the ins and outs private. That suited Eddie fine. "I think I would," she replied.

"Good, I've made plans, let's go."

At that moment, Rachel couldn't tell whether he was genuine or whether he said it to assuage her guilt about leaving the staff without saying goodbye. Rachel hoped, without question, for the former. Eddie rose from the bench, she followed, and soon enough, they'd gone.

* * *

"Right, no arguments Rach, I'm cooking tonight," Eddie announced as they hung their coats up.

She held her hands up in mock surrender before dropping her bags in the living room, "you'll hear no argument from me, Lawson."

"Good, why don't you go relax for a bit? Run a bath or something whilst I sort out our tea."

Eddie's sudden eagerness to take on cooking duties confirmed to Rachel that he had something planned. Therefore, he hadn't lied about them having plans. Still, Rachel wished she knew what these plans were. "Eddie, what's going on?" Rachel questioned.

Eddie tapped the side of his nose before replying, "I shall reveal all in the fullness of time, my love."

At his words, Rachel rolled her eyes and started climbing the staircase. Eddie watched her go as a deep sense of guilt lodged itself in his stomach; he hated keeping secrets from her but knew it would be worth it in the long run. He couldn't wait to share their holiday plans with her.

* * *

Rachel entered their bedroom and towards the wardrobe. Eddie was making a big fuss over this meal, so she thought she'd acknowledge by going smart-casual with her change of clothes. She caught herself mid-yawn and only then realised how tired she was. It had been both an interminable day and term, but she didn't wish to spoil Eddie's plans. She opened the wardrobe and rummaged through her clothes to find something suitable. Rachel soon settled upon a light purple silk shirt and a comfortable pair of jeans. With the clothing choice taken care of, she did as Eddie had suggested and ran herself a relaxing bath. Hopefully, a bath would refresh her enough so she could enjoy whatever Eddie had planned to the fullest.

* * *

It worked. Rachel's relaxing soak did its job in refreshing her and putting her in a suitable frame of mind with which to enjoy the evening alone with Eddie.

Upon joining him in the kitchen, she marvelled at the smell. "What's cooking?" Rachel questioned, wrapping her arms around him and her cheek against his back.

"Greek chicken with herby couscous and tzatziki," Eddie responded, a sense of pride clear in his voice.

Behind him, Rachel's brow furrowed in confusion, "I've never seen you make anything more complicated than the pasta thing before."

"Just because you've never seen me do it, doesn't mean I haven't or can't," Eddie snapped.

Rachel almost reeled backwards, such was her shock at Eddie's unexpected outburst. She'd never known him to get so worked up before, not over something as simple as their evening meal. When she didn't speak, Eddie turned to face her, "I'm sorry," he muttered, "I just wanted this to be perfect for you, because that's what you deserve."

A soft smile lit up Rachel's face, and he sensed she'd forgiven his outburst, "babe, the pasta thing you made for my birthday would have been fine. However, I can't deny that all this emphasises to me how perfect you are for me."

Relief swam through Eddie at Rachel's words. For a few moments after his outburst, he wondered whether it would descend into an argument. Thankfully not, "anything I can do to help?" she asked, taking advantage of the silence.

Eddie nodded, "how about you set the table and sort our drinks?"

"In or out?" Rachel replied.

"Shall we set up on the patio?"

Rachel grinned as she pushed open the patio doors before taking two sets of cutlery from the relevant drawer. Once she'd set the outside table for two, Rachel returned and fixed their drinks. Cranberry juice and a can of beer. She took both drinks onto the patio and sat down, waiting for Eddie to serve their meal.

He did that a few minutes later, setting the plate down in front of Rachel before taking the place opposite her. Their meals without Phillip were often long and leisurely affairs and this one was no different, they were never short on topics of conversations as a couple. "Mmmm!" Rachel exclaimed upon clearing her plate, "that was delicious, Eddie. Jamie Oliver, eat your heart out."

His cheeks flushed in response, "can I let you in to a little secret, Rach?"

She nodded as she took a sip from her cranberry juice, "course."

"That was Jamie Oliver's recipe."

"Ahh, but still, I'm touched that you made the effort for me."

"You're worth it Rach,"

At this, she smiled before rising from the table. A kiss landed upon Eddie's cheek before Rachel made a move to clear away the dishes. "No!" he exclaimed, stopping her mid-movement, "I'll sort these, you just relax."

Rachel didn't argue. If Eddie wanted to leave the dishes for later, she'd cede to the request. She put down her dish and crossed the patio, sinking into a swing chair to the right of the table where they'd eaten. Eddie watched for a few brief seconds as she swung backwards and forwards upon it. She was more at peace and relaxed in that moment than he'd ever seen her before. It filled him with a sense of happiness that he had six weeks of this ahead of him now. With that thought in mind, Eddie cleared away their plates, cutlery and took Rachel's glass into the kitchen to refill. It was now time for him to reveal her surprise.

Rachel's eyes flew open a few minutes later, "Eddie?" she called out, "where are you?"

"I'm coming, Rach," he called back, "close your eyes, I've got a surprise for you."

"I hate surprises," she replied half-heartedly.

"You'll like this one, I promise. Please, Rach."

She heard the plea in his voice and surrendered, her eyes fluttering closed, complying with his request. The sound of his footsteps reached her ears, stopping a little way away before starting up again moments later. He joined her in the garden swing chair and got himself settled before speaking up again, "open your eyes, Rach."

She did as instructed, but upon first glance, only saw Eddie. Then, however, she glanced behind him and saw the beautiful flowers upon the garden table. The sheer beauty of the dark red carnations took her breath away, "what have I done to deserve this?"

"Do I need a reason to buy flowers for the woman I love?" he questioned; upon not gaining a response, he continued. "These carnations symbolise a deep love and affection. I brought them because I've been madly in love with you for so long now and wanted to show you how much."

At Eddie's words, tears pooled in the corners of Rachel's eyes. He reached across to wipe them away and her hand landed upon his cheek, "I know how you feel Eddie, because it's mutual."

She closed the gap between them, brushing her lips against his and in doing so, gave him perhaps the softest kiss she could in that moment. Rachel pulled back, then glanced down at Eddie's hands; he clutched at an envelope, she could only guess at the contents. "What's in the envelope?" Rachel murmured, desperate not to burst the bubble that cocooned them.

A smile of happiness and pride rolled into one crossed Eddie's face, "this is the key component of your surprise," he responded, "I hope you'll like it."

Rachel took the envelope and slid it open. She pulled out a card and straightaway recognised the picture; it was on her personal laptop. She'd know those white-washed and blue-domed buildings anywhere. Rachel's heart thudded in her chest as she opened the card, then more tears gathered in her eyes as she read the words written inside in Eddie's familiar scrawl:

_Rachel,_

_I promised you the holiday of a lifetime and on that, I intend to deliver._

_Santorini, Greece._

_One week._

_Just you and me._

_How about it?_

_All my love, Eddie xxx_

She dropped the card into her lap as her fingers covered her lips. She didn't wish to know how Eddie had pulled this off. Not only keeping the secret, but also booking everything at such late notice. Rachel decided she didn't care about any of that. Her Eddie had done this, her perfect partner. He watched as various emotions became etched into Rachel's face as she came to terms with all of this; he didn't speak, for he understood she needed this time to make sense of everything. Her silence was not an answer to the question. A few moments passed by until Rachel pulled herself together, "you remembered?"

Eddie nodded, "that day when we discussed where to go for our summer holiday… I saw the way your face lit up as you talked about one day visiting Santorini. After that conversation and getting the go-ahead from Phillip, I booked it."

"Phillip knows?"

"Oh yeah, I wouldn't have done it without his agreement."

Rachel shook her head, now understanding why the pair of them had been so secretive since he'd moved in. "I may have to take back what I said this morning," she admitted.

"Which bit?"

"The bit where I told you I'd never love you more than that moment. I'm sure I'll change my mind again sometime, but for now, please know that I'm certain I've never loved you more than right now."

Eddie grinned, sensing she was on the verge of giving an answer, "so come on Rach, how about it?"

The grin upon Rachel's face near enough mirrored his as she responded, "yes, I'm coming with you."

With her acceptance now confirmed, Eddie leant forwards and pressed a bruising kiss to Rachel's lips. She responded before rising from the swing chair, discarding the card which fell to the ground. Eddie scowled, but his irritation soon evaporated as Rachel climbed into his lap, cradling his jaw-line before pressing a hungry kiss to his lips.

Eddie had all but forgotten of his plans to wash the dishes…

* * *

_So, now you know where they're going. I'll admit, it's been Hell keeping that a secret since I wrote the chapter in which they talked about a holiday!_

_We've only got the next two chapters covering the holiday. Largely because I think we can all use our imaginations to explore what they get up to but also, because I'm desperate to get to the drama ;)  
_

_Hopefully be updating next week, stay safe gang x_


	13. Romantic Retreat

_Dedicated to Em. Happy Birthday angel! Thank you so much for being one of my biggest and best cheerleaders throughout the process of writing this fic. I don't know where I'd be without you, or indeed, where this story would be too._

_Hope you like your present, love you xx_

_PS: Thanks everyone else for the reviews :D_

_x_

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen: Romantic Retreat**

The house was a hive of activity for most of Saturday morning. Rachel and Eddie were jetting off to Santorini later that afternoon, but she still insisted upon ensuring that Phillip had everything he'd need for the duration of their holiday. A car horn sounded outside. Their taxi to the airport was here. Once their cases and bags were out on the front doorstep, Eddie helped the taxi driver across the driveway with them, leaving Rachel to say goodbye to Phillip. "Are you sure you'll be OK?" she asked.

Phillip rolled his eyes at the question, "you've asked me that about twelve times in the last couple of days. I'll be fine, I'm sixteen Rach, I can take care of myself."

Rachel nodded in agreement, "I know, but you can't blame me for worrying. I've missed out on so much of your life, can you blame me for wanting to look after you while you are around?"

Phillip shrugged, "I guess not," he admitted, "you're actually considering passing up on this holiday to stay in rough ol' Rochdale with me."

"Nah."

"Good, because you deserve this holiday, so go enjoy yourself, please."

Rachel reached for her nephew and enfolded him in a hug; the affectionate gesture took Phillip by surprise, but he soon reciprocated by patting her awkwardly upon the back. "We should make this a regular thing," he teased.

Rachel laughed, "pregnancy makes me soppy and affectionate, I can't help it, Eddie's not complaining..."

"I'll stop you there Rach because I don't want to hear the end of that sentence."

At that moment, Eddie joined them, "taxi's ready," he said.

Rachel nodded, "I'll go get in, have a lovely week, Phillip. Any problems, call me, yeah?"

Again, Phillip rolled his eyes, "yes, Rach."

They watched from the front step as Rachel wandered down the driveway and clambered into the waiting taxi. "Thanks Eddie,"

The older man's brow furrowed, "what for?"

"For making Rachel so happy, I don't remember ever seeing her like this before. It made me realise it was worth keeping this holiday a secret from her."

Eddie shrugged, unsure of whether to agree, "I hated lying to her, so I maybe won't do it again," he admitted. Silence descended between them before Eddie clapped Phillip upon the shoulder, "I guess I'd better say goodbye too. I'll echo what Rachel said, call us if you have any issues. She'll probably be in touch during the week anyhow."

Phillip nodded, "see you next Sunday."

"Have an enjoyable week Phil, see ya."

Eddie gave Phillip one last wave before turning his back upon the lad. He strode down the driveway, climbing into the taxi to join Rachel. Once they were both settled, the taxi driver pulled away. Rachel turned and watched out of the back window as her home disappeared from view as the taxi reached the bottom of her road. She returned to her earlier position before tucking herself into Eddie's side, "just you and me for the next week then, how will you cope?" she teased.

He turned, throwing a wink in her direction, "I have my ways."

Rachel couldn't wait to find them out.

Firostefani was to be Rachel and Eddie's base for the week. A gorgeous complex equipped with everything they'd need. Its location, atop the world-famous caldera, gifted them breathtaking views of both the Aegean Sea and the volcano. A shuttle service picked them up from the airport. The drive was relatively short but, Rachel saw enough scenery to capture the mind. From the moment they arrived, she declared herself happy and Eddie could ask for no more. The photos she'd seen did the beautiful island no justice. It took her breath away.

The Cave Suite which Eddie had booked for their romantic retreat was big enough for a family of four, but Rachel still appreciated his choice. She liked the freedom that came with having such a spacious dwelling to relax and kick back in. Once they'd moved their cases from the living area to their bedroom, Rachel took it upon herself to explore the rest of their suite. She poked her head around what she presumed to be the bathroom door, grinning to herself as she spotted the bath and the jacuzzi. She knew they'd make proper and efficient use of both amenities. The décor in the living area was minimalist, not to Rachel's taste, but she appreciated how the colours lent themselves towards the perfect Cycladic escape. Next, she pushed open the doors that led her onto their private balcony. Rachel's breath caught in her throat as she took in the stunning landscape first. The comfy outdoor furnishings afterwards before settling her gaze upon the plunge pool to the right of the seated area.

Once again, the pictures did no justice to Santorini's beautiful landscapes. Rachel realised now there was no substitute for the real deal. She'd fallen in love with the place, despite the shortness of their stay so far. This was a place she'd dreamt of visiting for the longest time and thus far, had exceeded expectation. Sharing this experience with the only man she'd ever truly loved enhanced the weight of emotion jostling within her. She sensed a presence behind and spun, grinning at Eddie's smiling face staring back at her. "You needn't have gone to such an effort for me."

Eddie nuzzled into her from behind, pressing a kiss to her bare skin before responding, "I know, but I wanted to. Rach, you've been through so much since the start of your tenure at Waterloo Road. You didn't have much of a summer holiday last year after the fire, so I wanted to ensure this one was the best it could be. Rach, you deserve the world. I want to be the one to give it to you."

Rachel couldn't decide if pregnancy hormones or her current state of happiness were to blame for the latest outpouring of emotion. "Eddie Lawson," she muttered out loud, wiping away her happy tears before turning to face him. "You are a soppy so-and-so… but you're mine, and I love you… so much."

Eddie felt no need to reciprocate. Their relationship was secure enough to not need the constant assurances of their love. He'd organised this retreat on the sly without her knowledge, confirming to her how much he adored her. "Let's eat, shall we?" he questioned, producing the bags containing the takeout they'd picked up en route, "I'm starving."

Rachel rolled her eyes, "do you ever think about anything besides your stomach?" she teased.

"Yes, you."

Rachel tutted before taking the proffered bag, stretching upwards to kiss his cheek. Perched on high stools at the balcony's edge, they set out their salads on the accompanying table. Silence descended as they ate and took in the glorious scenery in front of them. The contrasting colours between the light buildings and the dark remnants of the dormant volcano was remarkable. After half a lifetime of pipe dreams, Rachel couldn't believe she was here. So much so, she'd gone to pinch herself many times. To check it wasn't a dream. This stuff never happened to her, now it had, and it was all because of the perfect man sitting beside her. She couldn't wait to explore this gorgeous island tomorrow and hoped that Eddie felt the same.

With their salads long since devoured, the couple watched the world pass them by from their glorious vantage point. Rachel's head rested upon Eddie's shoulders and for a few moments, he left her there. A slight movement caused her to raise her head a short while later, "hey," he murmured, "it's getting late, how about we head off to bed? We've got all week to enjoy this."

Rachel nodded, humming an acknowledgement before rising from the stool to clear up. Eddie followed her inside, closing the balcony door behind them. From there, they retreated. This was their home for the next seven days and they wanted to enjoy every moment.

* * *

_Keep the reviews coming lovelies, they really do make me safe._

_Stay safe, all of you x_


	14. Bump's First Holiday

_Thanks so much for all the reviews guys, I appreciate them so much!_

_Again, we're trotting into smutty territory with this chapter. If that's not your thing, please don't read and yell at me in the reviews! Again, had an argument with myself about censoring it. Again, decided not to._

_Hope you enjoy, please keep safe everyone x_

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen: Bump's First Holiday**

Rachel and Eddie's stay in Santorini disappeared in a blur. Before either knew it, their last night was upon them. The couple hadn't dined in Firostefani since their first night. Neither wanted to miss an opportunity to venture further afield for food. However, they stayed local for their last night. On their first night, they'd gotten takeout from Taverna Romantic. Bearing this in mind, Rachel and Eddie decided there was no better way to bookend their retreat. So, this called for a return visit.

Their waiter for the evening approached as the couple pored over the menu. They eventually made their choices, thanks to their waiter's input. Eddie opted for the daily special of oven-baked lamb with potatoes and vegetables. Rachel chose a cheese pie and eggplant salad.

There was no shortage of conversation topics for the couple. They discussed highlights of the trip before agreeing to return someday. Ideally, when Rachel wasn't pregnant so they could tour the vineyards and sample some local wine. Rachel's condition didn't stop Eddie partaking, but he flat-out refused. If she couldn't join him, he wasn't interested. Eddie's refusal caused Rachel's heart to swell with pride. Not only that, it also shored up her certainty about wanting to return someday. So they could do the wine tours, if nothing else.

It was Friday night, so they had a longer wait for their mains, but that bothered neither Eddie nor Rachel. They had a Greek olive tapenade each as a starter and talked, sharing occasional affectionate looks. Rachel's face shone with happiness and it instilled an enormous sense of pride in Eddie that he'd been the one to make her so happy. If she'd let him, he'd be perfectly content to have her by his side for the rest of his life.

As he daydreamed about what the rest of their lives might look like, Rachel's hand slid across the table, returning him to the present. "Are you OK?" she asked as a look of concern flicked across her face, extinguishing the earlier happiness.

Eddie entwined his fingers with Rachel's and shot a reassuring smile her way, "I'm fine," he replied, "just thinking."

"You'd better stop doing that, you'll set a precedent."

"Oi, cheeky."

Rachel laughed, "tell me… please."

Their waiter for the evening saved Eddie by bringing across their mains. He accepted their thanks before stepping back, allowing them to enjoy their meal in tranquil surroundings. The meals were exquisite, not that either expected anything less from this beautiful island. As they ate, Rachel remembered the night they'd dined in Oia after watching the iconic sunset. They'd pitched up at a fish tavern recommended by some locals they'd got chatting to earlier in the day and sampled the most remarkable squid and octopus. At one point, Rachel begged Eddie for a taste of his squid, which he only agreed to on the understanding that he could try some of her octopus. Before this break, she hadn't pinned him down as someone who was that adventurous with food. She'd learnt a lot about Eddie Lawson across that week, so she deemed the holiday a resounding success.

They shared a delicious baklava for dessert. Rachel wanted to sample it, but wasn't sure she'd finish a slice of her own after a filling main. The Greek dessert plugged the last hole in their stomachs. After paying off the bill and promising to return next time they came to Santorini, Rachel and Eddie left. Both intended on taking a slow walk back to their haven, wishing to enjoy what remained of their last night.

As they meandered hand-in-hand down the village's narrow streets, Rachel felt the heaviness in her heart more keenly with every step. She didn't want to return to real-life in Rochdale, she wanted to stay here, with him, forever. "Why must we go home?" she said aloud.

Eddie chuckled, "I never thought I'd hear you say those words."

"There's a first time for everything, I've loved being here and I wish we could stay forever."

Eddie nodded, "if only we could," he responded. "However, responsibility beckons, Phillip and the school being our main two."

Rachel rolled her eyes, "trust you to burst the bubble," she said, stopping in her tracks and causing Eddie to stop too. "I don't think I've yet said thank you for bringing me here, I'm grateful."

A smirk rose, "how grateful?"

There was a sparkle present in her eyes that didn't come from the lights jumping from building to building around them. Call it instinct, but Eddie understood where this would lead. Rachel's smirk mirrored his as she stretched upwards and hovered against his ear, "let's get back to the hotel, Lawson, and I'll show you."

All thoughts either party had of a slow walk back to the hotel had long since evaporated.

Rachel's lips were upon Eddie's before they'd even got through the door. Given her words a few minutes beforehand, her actions did not surprise him. Her desperation to convey how grateful she was to him for giving her the time of her life overwhelmed her. Upon shutting the door, Eddie tried to guide her through to the bedroom, but Rachel's movements stalled. She broke away, shaking her head, "no. Here."

Eddie's eyes widened, and no complaint came forth in response. Her attitude surprised him because more often than not, he'd taken the lead when things became physical; that was a concept he'd never really understood. Because of her past, he'd imagined that she might want to take the lead when things got physical. However, Eddie supposed that giving over control to him was Rachel's way of showing how much she trusted him. She knew he wasn't like most of the men she'd encountered in her past, and he proved that time and time again.

The silence from Eddie spurred Rachel on, her lips finding his in seconds. The response received was immediate. His lips parted and Rachel mimicked his movements. Her fingers moved from his jaw-line, into his hair, fisting into it as their kiss intensified. All too soon, however, Rachel pulled away. Eddie raised an eyebrow and the look he gave her sent Rachel's heart into overdrive; from there, autopilot took over. Her hands travelled south, moving over his shoulders and chest before settling upon his hips. She reached for the hem of the casual t-shirt he'd slung on after their pre-dinner swim, then reached up to kiss him, hitching the garment upwards. Moments later, Eddie pulled away and assisted with the removal of the garment. Once done, Eddie's arms encircled Rachel's waist as she groaned against him. His fingers swept over the light cotton material of her dress in search of the zip; a grin spread across his face as he located the fastening. A nip to Rachel's earlobe followed, leading her to elicit another groan. As Eddie lowered the zip, the overwhelming desire to touch her bare skin overcame him. He couldn't resist trailing fingers across her back and Rachel sucked in a breath in response. It was the merest caress, but enough to leave her wanting more. The dress loosened around her, and Eddie pulled at the shoulder, wanting to remove it. Rachel, however, shook her head once again, "not yet," she muttered, pairing the words with a seductive wink.

Disappointment clouded Eddie's face, but Rachel quelled that as her lips found his. Her movement set in motion another passionate frenzy of kisses. Causing enough of a distraction to enable her to undo Eddie's chino shorts. Rachel's tactic worked, for he didn't realise what she was doing until a hand stroked over the front of his boxers. Eddie groaned against Rachel at the realisation. Her lips upturned in a smirk before pulling back. "Get 'em off, Lawson," she demanded.

Eddie couldn't lie, on the rare occasion in which Rachel had taken control of their physical encounters, he'd found it one Hell of a turn-on. It was a feeling that still existed. Perhaps more so now as their relationship had evolved since last time. He soon ceded, ridding himself of both chino shorts and boxers. Before too long, he stood naked in front of her. A smirk danced across Rachel's face as she bit down upon her bottom lip, then swept her tongue over both. At that moment, Eddie congratulated himself upon securing the booked of a soundproofed suite. Not that it mattered either way. As Eddie's gaze met Rachel's, she saw the familiar fire dancing in his eyes and felt certain he saw a similar fire in hers. A fire that screamed lust, arousal and the deepest emotion of all, love. At this, a lump rose in Rachel's throat. She never imagined finding love, certainly never to the extent she'd found it with Eddie. Her happiness was at its peak, all because of him. "Now…" he trailed off, keeping his voice low to avoid betraying how turned on he was, "your turn."

The tables seem to have turned so fast, but Rachel refused to allow Eddie a moment in which to think he'd gained the upper hand. Her hands applied pressure to his shoulders, forcing him into a seated position upon the sofa. As Rachel stood in front of him and their gazes locked, something indefinable passed between them. She didn't have to do this, she realised. Eddie must have known how grateful she was for this romantic retreat, so there was no reason for her to show him to this extent. However, she'd promised, and Rachel Mason never backed down or broke a promise if she could help it. It was a trend she refused to buck now.

Her fingers reached for the straps upon her maxi dress. Off they came. Because Eddie had already unfastened the zip, the garment easily fell to the floor. Rachel reached behind her and fumbled with the fastenings of her bra before casting it aside. Eddie's gaze remained upon her as she undressed, "God, you're beautiful Rach… honestly."

The softest of smiles lit up her face as she hooked her fingers beneath the matching knickers, inching them downwards before freeing herself. Soon afterward, Rachel clambered into Eddie's lap. He groaned as she got comfortable; Rachel's lips hovered over his ear, then she too released a low groan as his erection twitched between her thighs. Rachel rose with his touch as he stroked her inner thigh, pleading for it. Eddie's fingers obeyed the unspoken plea and swept over her core, causing Rachel to emit a strangled gasp of pleasure. The teasing became unnecessary, for he knew she was ready. Despite that, Eddie couldn't resist one last tease, stroking over her before spiralling away. His tease has the desired effect, Rachel was so amped up on her own arousal, so all she saw was him. The eventual, initial penetration was all that occupied Rachel's mind, she was that desperate for it.

She sunk a little, leaving enough room for a hand to manoeuvre between their bodies, enabling her to find her prize. Now, it was her turn to administer the tease. Her fingers closed around him, resulting in a groan at the sudden contact. Rachel opened her fist, using only the tips of her fingers to stroke over him. She carried on her motions until Eddie's moans reached a crescendo, then her resistance crumbled.

Rachel sunk further, guiding Eddie's erection towards her opening. Then, she pitched forwards, feeling his penetration. The only sounds heard were their collective moans. Rachel's gaze settled upon Eddie. She released a soft giggle which caused a significant unravelling of his self-control. Still, his determination to allow her to lead remained. He just hoped she hurried up. Eddie's arms snaked around her waist while Rachel's enfolded at the back of his neck. The first movement of her hips followed, paired with a passionate kiss. The intensity escalated and with it, the speed of her movements. Soon enough, she rode him with a sense of reckless abandon. Rachel's movements became rhythmic. Eddie's followed, taking everything she had to give him. His hands remained upon her waist, guiding her movements.

Their passionate frenzy of kisses continued, thus muffling the true volume of their pleasured moans. Not that it mattered with their room being soundproofed. All too soon though, Eddie pulled away and his lips found her shoulder blade, leaving an array of kisses there that only enhanced her pleasure. Rachel's gaze flicked upwards as her hands cradled Eddie's head against her chest whilst his lips brushed over the perimeter of her scar. She bit her bottom lip as she tried to suppress the moan rising in her throat. Her attempt to do so was useless. Eddie groaned out loud against her chest as she continued to rock her hips, so she couldn't help moaning in delight herself. Eddie's breaths became steadily more laboured against Rachel, hers too were becoming heavier and more difficult to draw. Rachel's loudest groan yet rose in her throat and she released it, thus bringing with it the realisation that their climaxes were imminent. Eddie's lips and tongue stroked over her already-sensitive nipple before swapping and taking the other into his mouth. "Oh Jesus, Eddie," Rachel gasped out loud, "I'm almost there," she added whilst increasing the pace one last time, sensing that would be all it took.

"Same, sweetheart, give me everything you've got."

Rachel complied. Moments later, an exultant shriek emanated from her lips as an orgasm burst forth. Her body shook whilst riding out the glorious waves, with him climaxing soon afterwards. His ejaculation was just as noisy as Rachel's had been beforehand. As Eddie's climax enveloped him, she slowed down before coming to a stop. Soon enough, the waves of pleasure rippled away. All was silent, aside from their heavy breathing.

Rachel smiled to herself, hugging Eddie's warm, masculine body close as a tingling sensation rose in her stomach. However, the moment soon passed. "Now do you see?" she murmured.

Eddie nodded, "I knew anyway, I just played along when you said about showing me."

She rolled her eyes, seeing that as a typical Eddie response. For a few minutes, they remained in position, savouring the moment. That was, until Rachel rose, withdrawing and reaching for the silk robe she'd slung to the side earlier that day. Eddie frowned, watching as she adjusted the robe, pulling it around her svelte frame but not tying it up. "Rach?" he muttered.

She remained silent, padding across the room before pushing open the doors to their private balcony. Sensing something was on her mind, Eddie reached for his boxers and pulled them on before joining her. "Talk to me, Rach," he murmured, resting his chin upon her shoulder and a hand against her hip.

Rachel released a deep breath before unburdening herself, "I don't want the fairy-tale to end."

Eddie's forehead wrinkled in confusion, "eh?"

She sighed, not expecting him to understand first time round, "this holiday has been like something from my dreams. I never imagined having this because people like me rarely get a happy ending."

Eddie spun Rachel around so she faced him. Their gazes met, "it's because of your past that you deserve this happiness," he replied. "God, what you endured is something most people couldn't comprehend, but you overcame it, and it turned out to be the making of you. That's why I will always be here, to give you the happiness you deserve."

A radiant smile creased Rachel's face as Eddie's words sunk in, "do you reckon we can classify this as Bump's First Holiday?"

Eddie laughed at the tangent she'd gone off on, "I don't see why not," he replied, "they all count."

Upon hearing his words, Rachel's grin widened as her hand descended to her stomach, "I hope they enjoyed it as much as I have."

"And me," Eddie replied as his hands parted her silk robe and settled upon her bare stomach. He shuffled closer, resting his forehead against hers as they contemplated what the future would hold for them. "Come on," he muttered, "tomorrow will be tiresome, let's get to bed."

Rachel nodded in agreement, taking his hand as they wandered back into their suite.

Amidst all their hopes and ideals for the future, what came next was not in their plan…

* * *

_Please keep the reviews coming, I love reading them!_

_x_


	15. An Impending Storm

_Thanks so much for all the reviews gang, I love reading them :D_

_First things first, these next few chapters are for my girls because without their support, none of the things that follow would be happening._

_Now, who's for some drama? Pull up a chair, grab the popcorn and enjoy!_

_PS: I cannot apologise enough for some of the ideas/things a certain someone comes out with._

_x_

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen: An Impending Storm**

A darkened hallway greeted Rachel and Eddie upon their return. Neither party expected Phillip to still be awake, so the silence was unsurprising. As Rachel's eyes adjusted to the light, she spotted a note propped up against the phone. She picked it up and read: Welcome back, Rach and Eddie! I'm staying at Bolton's, be back later.

The note brought a smile to Rachel's face, reminding her of how unlike Melissa he was. "What does Phil say?" Eddie queried.

Rachel passed over the note and let him read, "I hope he's not been there all week," she muttered out loud.

Eddie pressed a kiss into her hair, intended to calm any concerns, "you worry too much."

His tactic worked. A deep exhalation from Rachel confirmed as much, "that's who I am."

Eddie understood and wouldn't have her any other way. Sometimes, her actions caused confusion, but more often than not, they made sense. Unlike now as she darted about downstairs, "what are you doing?"

"Checking's everything's as we left it."

"Rach, Phil's a responsible lad, he won't have broken our trust."

"It's not Phillip I'd worry about."

Exasperation clouded Eddie's face as he followed Rachel in and out of each room. "Bolton respects you, there was no trouble at Phil's sixteenth birthday party, and that was because he kept everyone in line. If anything went down, I'm sure Phil would have called on him for support."

Rachel stopped in her tracks and sighed, "you're right."

"Usually am."

At that, Rachel shot a glance upwards while a smirk tugged at the corners of her mouth. "I'm not dignifying that with an answer, your ego needs no boosting."

Eddie pulled a face, "everything's in order. Let's get to bed; it's gone three."

Until that moment, Rachel hadn't realised how tired she was. As he spoke, she yawned before nodding in agreement.

With his last vestiges of energy, Eddie carried their cases upstairs. Rachel followed with the carry-on luggage. They deposited both cases and bags out of harm's way before getting ready for bed. Conversation was sparse as Rachel changed into thin pyjamas. Eddie meanwhile changed his boxers, throwing the discarded ones across the room and into the laundry basket. Rachel laughed at Eddie's accurate shot as she climbed into bed. He followed, settling back against the pillow once she'd gotten comfortable. Both fell asleep soon afterwards. Rachel's thoughts returned to their romantic retreat, wishing they were still there, with just each other for company.

* * *

A loud, incessant knocking roused Rachel and Eddie hours later. In their half-asleep state, neither knew what the time was so couldn't tell whether this unknown person was knocking early, or they'd slept late. Given the late hour at which they'd arrived home, Rachel and Eddie hoped for the latter. "Who the Hell could this be?" he muttered grumpily before rolling over.

A sympathetic smile came his way, followed by a kiss to the bare shoulder. "Perhaps they'll go away."

"Hmmm."

The knocking ceased moments later. Both breathed an immense sigh of relief, hoping that whoever knocked had gotten bored and gone away. That hope was short-lived, for the knocking started up again not long afterwards. In a fit of irritation, Eddie leapt up and marched towards the bedroom door. Rachel sat up, rubbing her eyes, "where are you going?"

"Downstairs darling, to answer the door and tell whoever's there to get lost."

"Not dressed like that," she replied, "you're not answering the door in your boxers, so put some clothes on, for heaven's sake."

Eddie pouted, "don't you like my body now?"

Rachel laughed at the childish note in his voice, then bit her lip before uttering a reply. "Course, but only behind closed doors. Besides, I don't reckon whoever's at the door wants an eyeful, do they?"

"Suppose not."

Eddie heeded Rachel's request, rummaging around for a t-shirt and some jeans before going downstairs to answer the door. Upon opening it, someone he'd hoped he might never see again greeted him. "Thought I'd find you here, didn't take her long to dig her claws in."

As Melissa's words registered, Eddie sent a silent thanks upstairs to Rachel for insisting he put some clothes on. Melissa would no doubt have seen it as a come-on had he answered in the manner he'd wished. His eyes widened in shock, eyeing the bump she made no attempt to conceal. Eddie straightaway understood why she was here, "Melissa, what the Hell…"

"Shall I draw you a diagram?"

Eddie didn't appreciate the question, he wasn't naïve by any stretch. He understood the implications this could have on his relationship with Rachel. It was why he wanted rid as soon as possible. Ideally, before she came downstairs.

"Eddie? Who's there?" Rachel called from the staircase.

Too late, Eddie winced. Rachel descended as he turned, shielding Melissa from view. However, Rachel approached the door anyway, foiling Eddie's attempt to hide their unwanted visitor. Her jaw dropped upon seeing the bump, "is it…" she trailed off, not wishing to finish that question.

An eye-roll greeted Rachel's words. "Yes, it's Eddie's, why would you suggest it wasn't? I'm not the whore in this family, remember that."

At that point, Eddie stepped in, separating the warring sister, "hey, we'll have none of that."

He cast a concerned glance towards Rachel, "I'm fine," she insisted, "Eddie, let me deal with this…"

"This?" Melissa exclaimed.

The interruption annoyed Rachel; so much so, she shut the front door on her sister, ensuring an end to the disruption. "You can't shut me out, Rach!" Melissa yelled.

"Just did," Rachel muttered more to herself than anyone else. "I know you're worried about me, and I appreciate the concern darling, but I want to talk to her alone. Melissa's problem lies with me, we need to have an adult conversation, having you around might inflame the situation."

"Can't do that, Rach."

Rachel's gaze softened, "please Eddie, for me?"

He sighed out loud before conceding defeat, "OK, but this is for you, not her."

She grinned, then stretched to press a soft kiss to Eddie's cheek. "Thank you," she responded, resting her forehead against his.

Eddie held on as a deep sigh left her, "what's up?"

"What's she doing back here, Eddie?"

That tiny voice broke his heart, but he had no definitive answer. They could only guess at Melissa's intentions. He shrugged, "gate-crashing our fresh start."

Eddie's choice of words brought a smile to Rachel's face as she hummed an agreement, "sooner I hear her out, the better."

"I'll leave you two to talk but be careful… please."

Rachel's grin widened, "course."

With their conversation at its natural end, she opened the door. Melissa remained upon the doorstep, surprising neither Rachel nor Eddie, "we need milk, so I'll nip to the shop."

He turned towards Rachel, kissing her in Melissa's full view. Rachel, though surprised, reciprocated, albeit briefly. She pulled back and watched as Eddie wandered down the driveway, not daring to move until he'd disappeared from view. Once he had, she surged forwards, dragging Melissa over the threshold. "In there," she said, pointing towards the living room.

"I'd appreciate it if you could not drag me," Melissa snapped, wrenching her arm free of Rachel's grip upon entering the room.

"How else can I deal with you when I'm so mad?"

"Why so angry, Rach? Is it because my return throws a spanner in the works for your cosy set-up with Eddie and my son?"

"As if, I'm angry because you turn up unannounced after months of no contact and expect to pick up where you left off. You didn't even pick up the phone on Phillip's birthday."

Melissa had the good grace to look ashamed, "I was in a terrible place Rach, you must remember what that's like."

Rachel remembered, but fought hard not to, "you can't draw comparisons between our situations because they're nothing alike. Despite what you might think, my life's been a struggle. There's one enormous difference between us, Melissa. I took action to get myself out of my terrible place. Whereas you… you hide from your problems for as long as possible and almost expect someone else to step in when the time comes. Not this time Melissa, I'm too tired, and I don't have the energy to deal with your issues too."

Melissa fell silent as she dropped onto Rachel's sofa, then met her sister's gaze, "it is Eddie's baby, you know."

"So you say," Rachel replied.

"When did your opinion of me get so low?"

Rachel scowled, "around the time you decided that going ahead with another bigamous marriage was better than coming clean. You made Eddie look like a fool."

"Course you'd take Eddie's side."

"Why wouldn't I? He's my partner."

"On that subject, you wasted no time in taking my place."

"We didn't plan this, it just…"

"Oh, don't you dare say 'it just happened'," Melissa spat, her expression freezing in a split second, "please tell me you didn't."

"Didn't what?"

"Tell me you didn't sleep with him before we split up."

Melissa's accusation stung Rachel as she paced the floor, "don't be ridiculous. Where on Earth did that come from?" she questioned.

"Makes sense now, why else would you give me Mum's necklace?"

"Because you were Mum's favourite, and I wanted you to have it."

"Liar! That's not how your mind works. Shall I tell you what I think?"

"I'm sure you'll tell me anyway."

"I reckon you two slept together in a fit of grief over that girl who got shot…"

Rachel shook with anger as she stopped in front of Melissa, "that girl's name was Maxine."

"Yeah, her. The point is, I reckon you both cheated after she died, and the necklace was your misguided way of alleviating the guilt."

Rachel could scarcely believe it, "you're ridiculous, we didn't get together until after you left."

"So you say, am I supposed to swallow that?"

"If you wish to believe I'd do something like that to you, then go ahead. I've been honest, it's on you if you choose not to trust my word."

Melissa couldn't work out which way to take Rachel's words, so asked a question instead of responding. "How serious are you and Eddie?"

"Serious enough," Rachel replied evasively.

"That doesn't answer my question."

"He's living here with Phillip and me now."

"You're living together, eh? Before you and Phillip conspired to spoil it, I lived with him too. Not a proper mark of commitment, is it? You seem to forget Rach, I'm pregnant."

Rachel rolled her eyes in exasperation, "it's kinda hard to miss."

"Why are you having such a hard time accepting this baby is Eddie's?"

"Well, you've lied about pretty much everything else so why not this too? One more lie to add to the list won't make much difference," Rachel paused, "least there's no doubt over who the father of my child is."

Melissa opened her mouth to reply, but Rachel's last statement caught her off-guard, "what did you say?"

"You heard," Rachel said, "but for simplicity, I'm pregnant, Eddie's the father."

It was a bombshell Melissa hadn't expected; Rachel's admission shook her to the core, but she got over that, "you are something else."

"Eh?"

"Look at you, you feel so threatened by my pregnancy, you make up a fictitious one to counteract it. Nice try, Rach, but it didn't work."

Melissa's words came as no surprise; she couldn't blame her sister for her attitude. Aside from the noticeable bump, she had no reliable way of corroborating her claim, "you know what this all boils down to Melissa?"

"No, enlighten me."

"Jealousy. You lurch from one disaster to another, and you're jealous that I've made something of myself."

"Why would I be jealous of the former tart? You've had more men between your thighs than I've had relationships, why will Eddie be different?"

Rachel longed to bite back at Melissa's initial statement; she wanted to argue that at least she hadn't entered an illegal marriage and made her son keep the secret but sensed it would only escalate the situation. "I love him, Mel," she replied, "and he loves me, and it feels… remarkable. That's why I don't believe you ever loved him like you say you did. The only person you've ever loved or cared about it yourself."

"That's not true," Melissa exclaimed, "there's Phillip, he's my son. Of course I love him."

Again, Rachel rolled her eyes, "so you've remembered he exists now? He carried around your secret and almost made himself sick with worry. Then you abandoned him when Eddie chose me, leaving us to pick up the pieces."

"Hypocrite, do you realise what I had to deal with after you disappeared?"

Rachel sighed, "I hoped you'd get an easier time of it if I left, thought the chatter would die down. Sorry if you don't see it that way," she said before dragging a hand across her forehead. "This isn't helping anyone… You should go, maybe come back when you're more amenable to finding a solution."

No words came forth in response, so Rachel assumed Melissa agreed. Upon approaching the living room door, she turned, "see yourself out," Rachel said.

With those parting words, she crossed the hallway and headed upstairs.

Melissa watched her sister leave while planning her next step. She'd never seen Rachel as the maternal type, so her announcement came a little out of left field. Not that Melissa trusted her sibling, she remained convinced it was part of Rachel's plan to keep her and Eddie apart. As she slipped out into the hallway and towards the front door, Melissa wondered whether to do as Rachel asked. She held a hand against the door, opened it but closed it again before stepping outside. No, she wouldn't bow down to her big sister. Melissa wanted answers, and a sense of determination crept over her, she wasn't leaving without answers.

Soon afterward, Melissa hovered in a doorway. Rachel's gaze was elsewhere, fixed upon the hand upon her stomach. Only then did Melissa realise the truth. If she'd been honest about the pregnancy, was there any truth in anything else she'd said? "You weren't lying," she stated, breaking the silence.

Rachel jumped, unaware until that moment of another's presence nearby, "you should go," she insisted wearily.

Melissa shrugged, "I'm not good at obeying orders."

At that, Rachel smiled. A point very well made, she conceded. "What changed?" Melissa questioned, "you'd never spoken about having kids before."

This time, Rachel shrugged, "we never spoke about that stuff," she reminded her sister, "it's part of the reason I became a teacher."

Melissa's brow furrowed in confusion, allowing Rachel to continue. "After I left, I was wary of any man's intentions, so long-term relationships were off the agenda. Sure, I dated but… I never invested myself in what was happening. Until Eddie. As my deputy, he's stood by me through thick and thin, and I realised I didn't just want him there in a professional capacity. Eventually, I want it all, but only with him."

Melissa gave a stiff nod, it was the most in-depth conversation the siblings had ever had, "I don't deserve this Rach but please, give me answers."

Rachel sighed, "no," she said, "we agreed to have this conversation again another time."

"No, you said that, I never agreed. I'm not going anywhere until we've talked."

Rachel wanted Melissa gone before Eddie returned and because of this, she ceded to the demand. "Where shall I start?"

Melissa sighed with relief. Progress, at last. "Did you know Eddie was in love with you before we got together?"

The silence became stifling, and somehow, Melissa realise she wouldn't like the answer. She glanced towards her older sister, saw the guilt etched into her features and lost it, "answer me, Rach."

She nodded, "I think so, yes, can't say for certain, though."

"And did you know you were in love with him?"

"Does it matter Mel?" Rachel asked, exasperation coming to the fore.

"Matters to me, Rach."

Rachel turned away, unable to look at Melissa until she'd answered. "Yes, I did."

"So, to summarise. You let me enter a relationship with Eddie knowing full well you were in love, and those feelings were probably mutual," Melissa shot back, "what kind of sister does that?"

Rachel scoffed, ignoring the question, "you've hardly been the greatest sister, neither of us can say that."

"Understatement."

Rachel sighed, "I was a mess after the fire, worse after that first day. Eddie and I… I wasn't ready for that."

Melissa's brow furrowed, "what do you mean?"

Rachel stared blankly at the wall, only realising what she'd said once it was too late. She had to come clean now, "Eddie propositioned me, I rebuffed him and ran."

Rachel's latest confession hit Melissa hard, "you are the limit," she spat, "that makes what you did more unbelievable."

"I stood aside because he made you happy, and no matter what, your happiness always came first."

"What changed?" Melissa asked.

Rachel gathered up the dirty washing and dumped it into the laundry basket, picking it up before squeezing past her pregnant sister. "Eddie chose me," she said while dropping the basket, "his choice, not mine."

"You didn't turn him away when he came to you."

"I love him, Mel!" Rachel screamed, then inhaled a deep breath, "and he loves me. Which part of what I said earlier are you not getting?"

The event that followed happened in a blur. Melissa grabbed Rachel's arm, spinning her around. Without warning, Melissa unleashed a slap, connecting with her cheek. The force of the slap caused Rachel to stumble backwards, the momentum carrying her towards the stairs. She lost her balance, screamed and then fell, landing at the bottom of one flight and the top of another.

* * *

_I'm going into hiding, but please leave me reviews! :p_

_x_


	16. Shattered Dreams

_Well, I guess I have an apology to make guys._

_I'm SO sorry for leaving this for so long before updating. I wasn't expecting to get so deeply drawn down the Seven Billion rabbit hole. But, now that's done and I'm off work until July 12th, I'm back... YAY!_

_Let's pick up where we left off last time, shall we?_

_PS: Thanks for your reviews._

_x_

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen: Shattered Dreams**

"Rachel!" Eddie called upon his return.

His timing was impeccable, for he returned minutes after Rachel and Melissa's latest row concluded. No response came forth and Eddie's blood to run cold, his worst fears being realised. He bounded upstairs, almost reeling backwards upon seeing Rachel in a heap some three-quarters of the way up. "Melissa!" he bellowed, "what the Hell happened?"

Melissa didn't respond. It was as if she'd never heard Eddie speak. She remained rooted to the spot, unable to comprehend what had transpired. "Melissa!" he bellowed again, "what happened?"

At last, Melissa shook herself out of her trance, "I don't know," she lied, "one minute we were talking and the next… she just fell."

Eddie scoffed, "she can't have 'just fallen'. Did she faint, fall, or what?"

"I don't know," she repeated the lie once more.

Eddie sighed, "have you at least called an ambulance?" he asked. Melissa's silence spoke volumes, "fucking Hell."

At that, Eddie reached for his phone and called an ambulance, "did Rachel not tell you she's pregnant too?" he questioned after making the call.

"Eventually."

"If she loses this baby, I'll never forgive you."

"I did nothing wrong."

"So you reckon. You should have called an ambulance as soon as Rachel fell. If your stupidity in delaying has consequences…"

"Have you thought about how this might affect our baby?"

Eddie rolled his eyes. Typical Melissa. Seizing upon the awful situation and twisting it, so the focus was on her. "At this present moment, my priority is Rachel and our baby, not you and yours."

"Ours."

"Spare me, I'm not falling for that."

"It's the truth."

"You couldn't tell the truth if your life depended on it," Eddie spat, "just go, Melissa."

For once, Melissa obeyed. She passed Eddie and descended the remaining stairs, leaving without a backward glance.

Eddie sunk to his knees, then leant over to press a firm kiss to her temple. "Please don't leave me, darling. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. How can I do that without you?"

Before Rachel, he'd not classed himself a hugely emotional man. An avalanche of emotions washed over him upon realising this would be the third time in just over a year that Rachel's life sat in the balance. The sudden swell of emotions made Eddie realise how dependant he was on her for his happiness. Rachel pulled through the previous two incidents; with her fighting spirit, he hoped this third one wouldn't finish her.

Relief flooded Eddie as the paramedics arrived, bringing respite from an unpleasant daydream.

"What have we got?"

"Rachel Mason, thirty-nine years old. I think she fell down the stairs, I didn't see what happened, hasn't regained consciousness since," Eddie explained. At that point, a surge of anger pulsed through his veins. If Melissa hadn't been so cagey, he'd have a clearer idea of what had happened. That was his big guess, "and she's pregnant."

"How far along?"

"About ten weeks."

"OK, let's get her to A&E, we'll be able to run the necessary tests and carry out an ultrasound scan on the baby."

"They'll be OK, won't they?"

An understanding look crossed the paramedic's face. She wished she could promise that; however, it wasn't in her power to say either way. "We'll do our best for both of them, they're in safe hands."

Eddie exhaled a breath, reassured by the paramedic's words. Her colleague brought the spinal board and lifted Rachel onto it together, strapping her into place. An immense sense of relief overcame Eddie as he thought about Phillip, relief that the lad hadn't witnessed the incident. With everything he'd been through since Melissa abandoned him, he didn't need this burden too. Eddie decided he'd call Phillip from the hospital once they had the facts. There was no sense in bothering the lad while Rachel's condition remained unknown. "Are you coming with us?" the male paramedic asked.

Eddie nodded before following as they transported Rachel down the stairs and out onto the driveway. He locked the front door and watched as they loaded her in. Eddie climbed in after sprinting down the drive. The vehicle soon sped away.

* * *

A&E staff and doctors took over Rachel's care upon arrival. The doctor in charge told Eddie they'd come and find him when they had news. Afterwards, they took Rachel away to complete the tests and an ultrasound on the baby. Eddie could do nothing for them now. He wished otherwise. All he could do was wait, worry and hope that they'd both be OK.

Eddie dropped into the nearest chair, holding his head in his hands, wondering how and why Rachel had ended up in this state. He questioned absent-mindedly whether Melissa was to blame. He didn't think she had it in her, but would surprise him. Having her turn up on their doorstep several months pregnant was not in his plan for his and Rachel's future. If the baby was his, as she claimed, then he'd have to step up and take responsibility. However, doing so would jeopardise his relationship with Rachel. She wouldn't want to carry on their relationship once her niece or nephew arrived. That wasn't a matter Eddie dare dwell on, Rachel needed him now more than ever.

After tiring of sitting still, Eddie rose and paced the hospital corridors, getting himself more and more worked up at the lack of updates. He presumed that a lack of updates meant terrible news, but now Eddie had entered the vicious circle of negative thoughts, there was no escaping. Not knowing what was happening to his partner and their unborn child broke Eddie's heart. He couldn't imagine living the rest of his life without Rachel. Aside from Michael and now Phillip, she was the most important person in it. As the love of his life, she meant everything to him. Life without her seemed meaningless. Rachel Mason was one of a kind.

A while later, a female doctor came out to speak to Eddie. Her name badge read Dr Janine Glaister, "how is she? What's happened?" he asked, firing off questions in order of priority.

"Miss Mason was fortunate," Jasmine explained, "her CT scan came back clear, so we're confident there'll be no lasting damage from her fall. She'll be sore for a few days, and she's sustained mild concussion, so we'd like to keep her in at least overnight to monitor that."

Eddie found it worrying that as yet, Janine had not mentioned their unborn child. He sensed terrible news was afoot, "what about the baby?" he questioned.

When Janine didn't answer straight away, he realised where this conversation was heading, "Miss Mason's suffered a miscarriage, we couldn't find a heartbeat when we did the ultrasound."

Eddie's stomach dropped as he took in the doctor's words. He dropped into the nearest seat and put his head in his hands. Janine stood back, allowing him a few moments to take in the shattering news. "Miss Mason's asking for you," she added.

Eddie raised his head and rose, following the doctor along the corridor until she stopped outside the room where Rachel was being looked after. "I'll give you two some space for now, but I'll be back later to discuss where we go from here," Janine informed him.

"Thanks," Eddie murmured in response.

He quietly pushed open the door as Janine left. The sight that greeted him upon entering broke his heart. Rachel sat up in her hospital bed, dressed in the uncomfortable gown. Her head rested against her knees, one hand upon her stomach; Eddie heard her sobs of anguish from the doorway. He crossed the room to join her, sitting upon the edge of the bed. Rachel glanced up from her hunched position as the mattress dipped. Her gaze met his, eyes red raw from all the tears she'd shed since Janine told her she'd lost their baby. "Eddie, I'm so sorry," Rachel cried as he enfolded her in an embrace.

Eddie's emotions were already on shaky ground, but Rachel's words took them closer to the brink. "Sweetheart, what have you got to be sorry for?" he queried, pressing a firm kiss to the top of her head.

"For insisting you left Melissa and I to talk, I didn't know she'd be so hostile. This is all my fault, I provoked her. One minute we were arguing and the next…"

Eddie's hold tightened, deciding there and then to ensure no more harm came to Rachel. Their unborn child had already paid the ultimate price for Melissa's selfishness and hostility. He had to protect Rachel from the same fate. Again, Eddie pressed a kiss into her hair as she cried against him; her tears soaked his t-shirt, but he didn't care. He wanted to ensure Rachel had, for the time being, cried herself out before releasing her. Neither knew how long they stayed that way, wrapped in the other's embrace, but Eddie didn't release Rachel until her tears had subsided. "Eddie," she murmured.

"Mmmm?"

"Please tell me we'll be OK."

Eddie's body stiffened, and he realised Rachel felt it, her own hold tightening at the same time. "I can't promise that everything will be OK immediately, sweetheart. What I can promise though is that we'll be OK eventually, we're a partnership Rachel, an unstoppable force when we're together. This whole situation… it's just another obstacle, we'll get there, we always do."

Eddie sensed that his words had alleviated Rachel's apparent concerns. Her hold loosened as she tucked herself into his side.

At that moment, Eddie didn't know how they'd overcome the most significant test to their relationship, he just knew they had to. Losing Rachel because of all this wasn't an option.

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_Please keep the reviews coming guys, I really appreciate reading them._

_I think I'll go hide away and edit the next chapter :p  
_

_x_


	17. Deception By Default

_Thanks so much for all your reviews guys, I shall try not to get sidetracked again._

_I owe a massive thanks to my girls for helping me out with a bit of this chapter, they know what I mean ;)_

_So, Rachel's lost the Reddie baby. Now we're getting to the drama, fasten your seatbelts._

_Also, as a reference point (because I can't remember for the life of me if I've mentioned it in the chapter itself!), we're a week on from Rachel's miscarriage._

_x_

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen: Deception By Default**

"I'll make those," Eddie said, nodding towards the kettle as it came to the boil.

Rachel jumped, startled by the unexpected intrusion. However, she styled it out, raising no objections to the offer as Eddie made the drinks. He approached the breakfast bar, placing two down before dropping into the seat next to Rachel. The previous evening, they'd made tentative plans to get out of the house for a bit and perhaps stop off in town for lunch. Eddie hoped Rachel still felt up to it because he wanted to inject a sense of normality back into their lives. The miscarriage had turned their world upside down and worst of all, the one person Eddie blamed had not been in touch since: Melissa. No visit, no call, not even a text. Melissa's radio silence enhanced Eddie's sense of anger, he blamed her for all of this; if she'd not turned up within hours of their return from Santorini, none of this would be happening. "Sure you still fancy grabbing lunch in town?" Eddie asked before sipping his coffee.

Rachel nodded, following suit, "I've not been out since leaving hospital, I need a change of scenery, otherwise I'll go stir-crazy."

Eddie laughed, "and I'll put up with it."

Rachel deposited her cup before turning to face him, cupping his cheek, "I wouldn't do that. After everything you've done for me since… the accident, you don't deserve that."

Eddie smiled, turning to allow his lips to brush against the inside of her wrist. The movement sent a shiver down Rachel's spine and a sense of relief followed. A hopeful silence settled in. Hope that they could salvage their relationship after enduring such a traumatic event, if they could get through this, anything was possible. He pulled back, tucking her hair behind her ear. "I hate seeing you so upset, knowing there's nothing I can do to alleviate that. I understand how hard losing the baby was for you… we could always try again.

At his words, tears gathered in Rachel eyes and Eddie chastised himself for saying the wrong thing as she cried. "Come here," he said, enveloping her in a hug after rising from his perch.

Rachel buried her head into the crook of Eddie's neck as she let it all out. Emotionally, she remained at rock bottom. Understandable under the circumstances, emotions would be raw for a while until she accepted what had happened. Eddie's words hit her hard because she wanted that so much, but feared she'd met him too late to make it happen. With every day that passed, Rachel wondered whether it would become a pipedream, she hoped not but time wasn't on her side. She wished she'd met Eddie sooner, why couldn't they have met ten years ago when they'd have had all the time in the world to try. "I'm sorry," she murmured once the tears subsided.

Eddie pulled back and cupped Rachel's face, "sweetheart, you've nothing to be sorry for. Course you're still hurting after what happened. Listen, forget what I said about trying for another. If you want, we can try again further down the line, if not, that's fine too. I love you Rach, baby or no baby."

Rachel smiled, not realising how much she'd needed to hear those words to trust him, "I love you too."

He smiled, pressing a kiss to her forehead as Phillip wandered in, "morning guys," he greeted them, stopping after seeing Rachel's tear-stained face, "you OK, Rach?"

Rachel nodded, wiping away the tears, "getting there," she replied, smiling at Phillip's concern.

Phillip smiled before popping some bread in the toaster, "Rach."

"Yeah, Phillip."

"How come Mum's not checked in since…"

Phillip didn't need to finish the sentence. Neither Rachel nor Eddie needed the reminder. The couple exchanged furtive glances as they wondered how best to explain it. Phillip and Melissa's relationship was already on shaky ground. Rachel reckoned no good would ever come from him knowing the truth. In the aftermath, Phillip had become almost as overprotective as Eddie. She didn't mind, both had her best interests at heart. Her boys, her number one priority.

Once the initial shock had worn off, Rachel recounted every detail of their row to Eddie; from her hostility to the horrific slurs and everything in between. Melissa's behaviour disgusted Eddie, so much so that Rachel had to talk him out of confronting her. "Phillip, I can't second guess what's going on in your Mother's head, ask her."

With the mother-son relationship at an all-time low, Rachel reckoned asking Melissa would be the last thing he'd do. Luckily, no other questions followed. Phillip's toast sprung out, and he pulled the butter from the fridge. Eventually, he took the seat Eddie had vacated. Phillip sensed something was amiss and wanted to discover what.

Eddie understood feelings would remain raw for some time. He also wondered whether speaking to Melissa in a calmer setting would help. As much as she'd insisted she didn't want to see her, Eddie still wanted Rachel to be open to the possibility. Aside from Phillip, Melissa was the only family she had. Melissa had caused all this, Eddie would consider them even when she'd learnt every detail. Even, but as promised, he would never forgive her.

"Rach, can we talk about something?" Eddie questioned before dropping onto a nearby bench.

She nodded, sitting down beside him as he rested their enclosed hands upon her lap, "what is it?"

Eddie wasn't at all sure how to start the conversation, "sweetheart, I've been thinking…"

"You must stop doing that," Rachel interrupted.

He grinned, relieved her sense of humour remained intact. "Promise you won't get mad at me for making this suggestion."

Rachel turned, then smiled, "why would I get mad at you?"

"Perhaps you should reach out to Melissa."

Rachel's demeanour changed upon the mention of her sister. She froze, and Eddie sensed what was coming before she even opened her mouth. "No," she replied, emphasising it with an adamant shake of the head.

"Darling, please just hear me out."

Rachel relented; Eddie wouldn't suggest it without having thought it through first, she understood that much. "Look, I get that you're angry at her and hurting at the moment, I am too, we probably always will be but… can I be honest?"

"We've always been honest with each other, I'm not about to set a dangerous precedent by changing that now."

"OK… I wonder whether you're hurting just as much without her."

Tears leaked from the corners of Rachel's eyes as Eddie hit that sore spot, "what makes you say that?"

"Rach, I know you better than anyone else. Because of that, I understand that all you've ever wanted is to feel like part of a proper family. Melissa and Phil are all that's left, she may not be the best sister, but she's the only one you have. Wouldn't it make things easier and perhaps less painful for you, and for Phil too, if you could be civil and honest towards each other? All I ask is that you deliberate. Whatever you decide, you're my number one priority, that'll never change."

Rachel sniffed whilst wiping away the tears, "perhaps you're right, about the fact that I'm hurting just as much without her," she mused out loud. "I don't know whether I'm hurting because she's not here, or because of what she took from us."

Rachel's response broke his heart, but Eddie hoped that going back to those dark places would be the best way to help her make sense of recent events. "Could it be a bit of both?" Eddie offered.

Rachel shrugged, "perhaps more one than the other. It doesn't bother me so much that she's not here, I'm used to dealing with stuff without her around. What bothers me is the idea that she's perhaps taken away my… our… last chance of having a child of our own."

"I told you earlier Rach, I love you, with or without a baby."

She smiled, "I needed to hear that," she admitted. "Melissa won't understand what she took from us because she's had the child, and she's having another."

Eddie's grip upon Rachel's hand tightened, "that's why reaching out might be good. You hated missing out on so much of Phillip's life. Do you really want history to repeat with your new niece or nephew?" he paused. "Plus, if the baby is mine, it might make it easier for us to carry on as we are."

"Do you believe her?"

Eddie shrugged, "I don't find her as easy to read as her sister, so I couldn't say. You?"

Rachel shrugged too, "maybe she's on the level, maybe not. Eddie, I want to, I'm just not sure I can. She lied about the bigamy, it wouldn't be a huge stretch for her to lie about this too."

"Still don't understand why she was first choice. As an ally."

"Thought I was getting an improved version, how wrong was I?"

"You needn't explain, Rach,"

Rachel rested a free hand on top of Eddie's, "yes, I should," she insisted, "you of all people deserve to know why I wanted her here.

"Given what happened with everyone finding out about my past and the fire, I wanted her nearby because she's family. I hoped that having her around would provide with the familial support to get me back on my feet. Families don't necessarily do what's best, or offer the support you need, but you always look for the best in them, whatever the circumstances. That's where I'm at with Melissa; deep down, I'm not sure I brought it when she claimed to have changed and her behaviour over the past few months proves it. She'll never change, and I was stupid for believing in a version of my sister that'll never exist."

Eddie leaned over before pressing a kiss to the side of her head, "wanting to believe in the best version of Melissa doesn't make you stupid."

Rachel shrugged, "doesn't it? Anyway, the version, of Melissa we have seems worse because I never dreamt she'd harm me as she has done. So, I didn't… don't… need Melissa as an ally anymore, because I've got you and Phillip, the only two allies I need."

"We'll always be here, Rach."

"I'll always need you… never imagined I'd say that."

Eddie grinned before kissing her, "think about what I've said, yeah? If you can't reach out, I'll understand, but don't dismiss it out of hand, OK?"

Rachel nodded in agreement, "OK, for you."

Silence enveloped the couple and their gazes veered away from one another, onto the scene before them. Dog-walkers and couples passed by on the other side of the lake as both Rachel and Eddie became lost in their own thoughts. Eddie had an idea; if Rachel didn't want to be the one to reach out, perhaps he could persuade Melissa to make the first move instead…

When he'd packed up and left over the Easter holidays, Eddie hoped he'd never darken this doorstep again. Yet, here he was. Eddie knew of Rachel's stubborn streak, and he understood her reluctance to make that initial contact. Melissa had caused this mess; by rights, she should reach out and start making things right.

Pausing on the front step, Eddie gave himself one last chance to turn and walk away. He saw himself doing it but upon remembering his reasons for being there, he rung the doorbell and waited. Several moments passed by without an answer, leading Eddie to hope she wasn't in. No such luck, the front door opened soon afterwards, causing that slither of hope to evaporate. "Didn't think it'd be long before you came crawling back," Melissa sneered.

"Don't get your hopes up Mel, that's not why I'm here."

"Does she know you're here?"

It grated on Eddie that Melissa did not address her sister by name but refused to rise to the obvious antagonisation. He shook his head, "I'm here on Rachel's behalf, but she doesn't know. Are you going to let me in? I'm sure you don't wish to have this conversation on the doorstep."

Melissa turned over Eddie's words, he was right. By letting him in, she wasn't compromising her safety, or that of the baby. Their conversation wasn't likely to get as heated as hers with Rachel did, they brought out the worst in each other. Eventually, Melissa nodded and backed away, allowing Eddie to entered.

He followed his heavily pregnant ex-fiancée into the living room of what would have been their home, if things had been different. Melissa lowered herself onto the sofa and Eddie made a conscious effort not to join her. Instead, he dropped into the armchair, glowering at her before speaking. "I'm surprised you've not been in touch to survey the damage."

Melissa appeared indignant at Eddie's accusation, "I've had stuff to deal with," she protested, "imagine how hurt I am that Rachel can't accept that this baby is yours."

Eddie resisted the impulse to roll his eyes. Even now, when he was here to talk about Rachel, she somehow turned the tide, so the focus was upon her. In that moment, he wondered what he'd ever seen in her. Then he remembered; he hadn't been looking to settle down when he met Melissa. All he wanted was someone to ease the burden of loneliness weighing him down. Melissa fit the bill until things snowballed out of control. "That's you all over Melissa, me first and bugger everyone else, even your own flesh and blood," Eddie responded in disbelief, "Rachel had a miscarriage, did no-one tell you?"

From the look upon Melissa's face, Eddie guessed not. "Never saw her as the maternal type, anyway."

Eddie's outrage at that statement wrote itself across his face, "that child would have been your niece or nephew Melissa, have a heart."

"According to Rachel, I don't have one."

"Eh?"

"Didn't she tell you she called me a heartless bitch?"

"She told me what happened, but if what you're saying is true, you slung worse at Rachel. I remember hearing worse before making the mistake of leaving you two alone."

"You don't believe me?"

"Are you surprised, Melissa? You lied to me every day we were together, why should I believe you now?"

"Because I needn't lie now, I've got nothing to lose and everything to gain."

"If that's the case, why didn't you tell me about the pregnancy before you left? To be so far gone, you surely must have been pregnant then. Tell me why, Melissa."

Eddie's question and subsequent statement brought Melissa up short, she hadn't expected that response. Silence fell as she marshalled her thoughts and prepared an answer. "I wanted to be sure we were marrying for the right reasons, not because of some unplanned pregnancy," Melissa explained. "Think about it, Eddie, the whore who can't give you a child, or the ex-fiancée that can, your choice."

Eddie scoffed, "that is not what Rachel is anymore and my choice remains the same. I choose Rachel, and I'll keep choosing her until my dying day."

"Your mistake."

"No Melissa, my biggest mistake was getting too close to you. I should have waited for Rachel, not settled for the consolation prize."

Consolation prize? Melissa seethed at Eddie's words. "Was that all I was to you?" she paused. "If that's how you feel, I'll have the baby and disappear again."

Once again, Eddie scoffed, "you wouldn't do that. If that baby is mine, you're more likely to stick around and use it to drive a wedge between me and Rach," he countered before rising. "This is pointless, I shouldn't be here, I'm going home, to Rachel."

Melissa rose too, intending to follow and argue some more. However, a sharp pain stopped her, and she ended up doubled over on the living room floor. A gush of water leaking from between her legs alerted Melissa to the cause of her pain. "Eddie! My waters have gone, the baby's coming!"

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_Maybe don't kill me yet..._

_Please review!_

_x_


	18. Into The Fire

_Hello gang, anyone still here?_

_I am so sorry for taking so long to post this, it truly wasn't my intention. For those that don't follow me on Twitter, here's the reason._

_When the UK government brought in mandatory mask-wearing in shops at the end of July, we stopped limiting the number of people we have in at one time. Before then, we'd only been allowing two in at a time and marshalling the door to stop more coming in. When we stopped that, we got busier and as a result, I felt that I shouldn't be forcing myself to write if I wasn't in the mood for it. So, I put this on hold until a couple of weeks ago but have struggled since to regain my mojo. Somehow, it's reappeared this weekend, hence why you're finally getting a chapter._

_Also, before I shut up and let you read, I apologise for the use of one particular profanity in this chapter, 'twas unavoidable._

_Enjoy!_

_x_

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**Chapter Eighteen: Into The Fire**

Eddie scoffed, "oh no, not falling for that," he yelled from the hallway.

Only when he poked his head back around the door did he realise it wasn't another of Melissa's lies. She glanced around, "it may have been sixteen years, but I remember what labour feels like."

A strange sense of déjà vu swept over Eddie. Last week, he'd called an ambulance for Rachel and their baby, now he was on the verge of calling one for Melissa and hers. He ignored the fact that this baby might also be his. That was not a thought he wished to contemplate so soon after Rachel's miscarriage. However, that being said, Eddie didn't want to leave Melissa alone until he was sure she was in safe hands. For that reason alone, his voice softened, "I'll call an ambulance. Anything you need?"

Melissa gave a weak nod, "water."

Eddie nodded. Upon reaching the kitchen, he retrieved his phone to make the call. Soon after, he returned, handing over a glass. She took a sip before placing it on the mantlepiece. "This isn't happening," Melissa muttered, "it's too early, she's too early."

Eddie's interest piqued at his former fiancée's last words, "she?"

Melissa waved away her words, "just a gut feeling. Mother's instinct, whatever," she said. There was silence, punctuated only by heavy breathing and gasps of pain. "Eddie, I'm petrified."

He saw the terror on Melissa's face, and his demeanour softened. No matter how much he hated her for bringing about Rachel's miscarriage, Eddie couldn't leave her, not in this state. "Melissa, I'm not going anywhere."

At Eddie's assurance, a smile graced her face, "thank you."

Eddie's stomach gave an unpleasant lurch upon pulling up in the driveway. Silence enveloped him upon turning the key and switching off the ignition. Yet Eddie did not seek to move. He appreciated the calm, needed the space to get his head together. The range of emotions Eddie had been through since saying goodbye to Rachel several hours ago wore him down. One thing was for sure, Eddie had to tell her before Melissa did with a lot less sensitivity. He reckoned the fact the siblings weren't speaking wouldn't stop Melissa dropping the bomb that would tear Rachel apart. It shouldn't surprise him because she had all the sensitivity of a blunt axe.

With a defeated sigh, Eddie got out of the car and stood on the front step. He took time in retrieving his keys, hoping to prolong the inevitable. Eventually, Eddie pulled himself together and opened the door, calling out for Rachel upon stepping over the threshold. Her voice floated out from the living room, and he inhaled a breath. Once again, he took his time in taking his shoes off and putting them away, thus buying more time to work out how he'd say what he needed to. The miscarriage was a sore point, and there'd be no perfect time to break the news that her sister had had her baby.

"Hey," Eddie greeted her upon entering the living room, dropping a kiss onto her forehead in passing.

"Hey," Rachel repeated, smiling at the gesture, "where have you been?"

The smile vanished as Eddie sunk into the armchair. "Sorry, got held up," he replied before rubbing nervously at his neck.

Something was wrong, Rachel sensed that much. She sat up, staring at Eddie like she would one of their uncooperative students. "Eddie," she said, her tone soft and patient, "what's happened?"

He chanced a glance, watching as Rachel's face contorted with concern. Eddie grappled with his conscience, wondering whether to tell her everything the doctors told him. "Melissa's had the baby," Eddie settled on, "a girl."

Upon hearing the words, Rachel crumpled, crushing Eddie's heart. Her reaction made it easier to clamp down on his desire to tell her everything. She didn't need to hear it. A stunned silence followed, which Rachel broke upon finding her voice, "she can't have, it's too early, she's not due for another… however many weeks."

Rachel shoved down the sense of guilt engulfing her. She'd never asked Melissa how far along she was in the pregnancy. Seemed irrelevant, as she'd already birthed the child.

"I was there, Rach. I couldn't leave."

Under normal circumstances, Rachel would have asked questions. But the enormity of Eddie's bombshell drove all lines of questioning from her mind. "Is she OK?"

Again, an opening presented itself, but it was one Eddie didn't take, "Melissa or Charlotte?"

"Charlotte?"

He nodded, "Melissa's choice," he responded, "but, to answer your earlier question, yes, they're both fine."

Rachel's gaze rested upon him as she quirked an eyebrow. For the first time in a while, Eddie's demeanour unsettled her. He wasn't brimming with all the happiness she expected and wondered why. Was it because he knew like she did what this development meant for their relationship? Rachel's gaze veered away, "everything will change now, won't it?"

In an instant, Eddie was on his feet and in front of her. Crouching to cup her cheeks, before replying, "it doesn't have to, Rach."

Incredulity clouded her features, "how can you say that, Eddie? You have a child with my sister. I never pegged you as a man who'd shun his parental responsibilities. Melissa needs you…"

Eddie shook his head, cutting her off, "I don't need her, or even want her," he replied, "I need you, and want you."

Rachel shrugged, "you wanted her once."

"No… I just wanted… someone. She was there."

Eddie's statement contained a degree of subtext. Rachel seethed, rising from her perch before putting some distance between them. "Don't imply this mess is my fault."

Eddie raised his hands in a gesture of surrender upon rising to his feet. "I'm not apportioning blame, Rach," he responded, "not entirely."

"Seems that way."

"All I'm suggesting is we share the blame. Melissa shouldn't have gotten involved with me if she had an inkling there was something between us. I shouldn't have moved on so soon after you rejected me. And perhaps you should've made it clear when you rejected me it wasn't a no, just a not yet."

Rachel fell silent, finding herself unable to argue Eddie's points, for she agreed. However, she couldn't wrap her head around the idea that he was prepared to sacrifice being a Dad again for her. She couldn't let him, "I can't ask you to give up your child for me," she insisted upon turning to face him.

Eddie strode across the living room, decimating the gap. Once again, his hands cradled her cheeks. "You're not asking, I'm telling. I'll pay maintenance and whatever else, but I won't have anything to do with Charlotte's upbringing."

Tears appeared in Rachel's eyes as he spoke. How she wished he was telling the truth. He was kidding himself, and she knew it. Rachel stepped back, placing a delicate hand upon Eddie's cheek, half-returning the previous gesture. "You haven't got it in you to play the role of an absentee father. Having missed out on so much of Michael's life, it would finish you. What's the popular saying? If you love someone, let them go. That's what I intend to do."

It was as if losing Eddie was far more bearable than the alternative. Far better than admitting that perhaps this had been Melissa's plan all along, to leave Rachel with nothing. It took a few seconds for Eddie to register Rachel's meaning. His face crumpled as the words sunk in. "Rach, no! Don't do this."

"Find me an alternative then, Eddie. This is killing me, but the longer we carry on, the more complicated the situation gets. I can't be your partner, Melissa's sister, Phillip's aunt and Charlotte's aunt and step-Mum rolled into one, it's too fucked up."

"So instead, you're throwing our entire relationship into the fire, nice to know you care."

The tears Rachel had tried to suppress fell; Eddie's words stung. Then she cursed herself for portraying her vulnerability. No sooner had she done that, she remembered he'd seen her in far worse states. Eddie had seen her at her worst and still stayed. It broke Rachel's heart to realise how little Eddie thought she cared. Oh, she cared. Why else would this hurt so much? "You can accuse me of everything under the sun, Eddie, but never that. I love you, never forget that."

"Then why take the easy option?"

"Nothing about this situation is easy. What if I stayed and couldn't… couldn't give you a baby?"

"I'd still have you."

"Sure, but I'd never forgive myself for standing in the way of your last chance to be the father you weren't to Michael. The father you never had a chance to be to Stephen, too."

Eddie stood stock still; he couldn't argue because Rachel was right and, at that moment, a realisation hit him; no-one would ever know him like Rachel Mason did.

"We've said all we need to, Eddie," Rachel said, breaking the silence. "Please… pack your things and go be with Melissa and Charlotte."

It was both abrupt and harsh, but Rachel had said all she needed to. Eddie realised then that there'd be no talking her around. He knew that Rachel was not one for changing her mind, only in exceptional circumstances did she do so. He nodded before retreating from the living room.

Rachel listened as he climbed the stairs. Only once Eddie's footsteps receded did she release a strangled sob.

What had she done?

Eddie made a conscious effort to only pack for the short-term. The irrational part of him hoped that once the dust had settled and things were calmer, she might be more amenable to giving their relationship another go. However, the rational side remained realistic. Rachel's selfless nature would always prevent her putting herself first. It was a trait that Eddie loved and hated in equal measure.

Rachel stood in the hallway, watching as Eddie descended. "Before I go, can I give you something?"

She pushed herself off the adjacent wall, "what is it?"

Eddie handed over an envelope, deliberately allowing his hand to brush over her skin for perhaps the last time, "open it."

She did as instructed, taking out a single picture. A lump rose in her throat as she remembered the moment. "Where did you get this?"

"Dmitri."

Comprehension dawned upon Rachel's face; Dmitri had been their host in Santorini. He took the couple across to Oia one night. Showed them the best place to watch the iconic sunset, then stepped back, leaving the couple to enjoy the moment. As the sun set on the island, they'd shared a kiss, Dmitri captured that moment.

Happier times, a world away from their current state. "Eddie, you keep it. It'll make my heart hurt all the more."

Rachel didn't wish to sound ungrateful, but she felt as if having the reminders would make it hurt more. Eddie shook his head, "maybe you will someday."

He leant in one last time, his heart breaking even further as Rachel turned away, his lips grazing her cheek instead of the lips as he'd intended.

Rachel knew she couldn't allow him one last 'proper' kiss. It was why she turned away. She knew that if they were to kiss even once more, her resolve would disintegrate, and she wouldn't let him leave.

Eddie pulled back, shouldering his holdall before heading for the door without a backward glance. He couldn't look back; otherwise, he'd never go.

Rachel returned to the living room once Eddie had left, fighting to diminish an avalanche of emotions. The opening and closing of the front door forced her hand. In case it was Eddie returning because he'd forgotten something. "Rach!" Phillip called.

"In here," Rachel called back, hoping she'd done enough to disguise the tremble in her voice.

Phillip hovered, "I just saw Eddie. He told me you'd dumped him."

Rachel winced at Eddie's turn of phrase. Not the way she'd have phrased it. "I have ended our relationship, yes. Certain things have happened, which would make it impossible for us to carry on."

Phillip entered the room, sitting down next to his aunt, "what's happened? Is it to do with Mum?"

Rachel nodded, "she's had the baby, a girl called Charlotte. As she claims Eddie is the father, I didn't want him to lose out on seeing his daughter grow up. I let him go so my niece, your half-sister, had a father."

The turn of events took Phillip by surprise. Not one of them questioned how far gone Melissa was. In fact, Phillip hadn't even seen his mother, Eddie had rung the lad from the hospital, informing him of both Rachel's condition and Melissa's return. "We were happy, the three of us, why must she spoil that? Why didn't you fight for Eddie?"

Rachel's lip twitched as Phillip demonstrated his lack of experience with the fallout of a relationship. "I ended it," she reminded him. "Besides, I don't think there's any fight left in me."

Rachel's confession broke Phillip's heart, causing a surge of anger to overwhelm him. He hated Melissa for unsettling the dynamic they'd created. They dealt with things together, the three of them. Did that not matter now? "I hate her," Phillip blurted out, "she's ruined everything."

Rachel's heart ached for Phillip at that moment, "don't say that," she implored.

"Why not? It's what she deserves."

Rachel had no answer; she was in a similar quandary. She hated her for bringing about the miscarriage, but still loved her. In short, she hated what she'd done, not necessarily Melissa herself. "I suppose you'll be wanting to move back now," Rachel said, changing the subject.

"What makes you think that?"

"Well, with your Mum being back, I thought she'd want both of you back."

Phillip shook his head, "I don't want to live with her anymore. Can I stay with you?"

Phillip's words brought about the first genuine smile from Rachel in a while. Perhaps Melissa would not take everything from her, after all.

* * *

_Kill me now if you like but bear in mind that if you do, I can't fix it :p_

_x_


	19. Facing The Music

_Hello to anyone still reading!_

_Once again, sorry for taking so long to get this out. Usual excuses apply. Plus, had a COVID scare a couple of weeks ago but thankfully, the test came back negative._

_I now have three whole chapters in the can for you guys so hopefully, I won't be leaving it nearly a month before updating again._

_Enjoy, and please keep the reviews coming._

_x_

* * *

**Chapter Nineteen: Facing The Music**

An enormous sense of dread overcame Rachel as she silenced her alarm clock. With the summer break now at an end, a new school year dawned, and she didn't want to think about the challenges it would bring.

Of all the emotions jostling for precedence in her muddled mind, dread won out. For the first time since her teenage years, Rachel dreaded setting foot in school, dreaded seeing Eddie that morning. She hadn't seen him since their breakup, so didn't know how he was coping in the aftermath. With baby Charlotte presumably taking up a lot of Eddie's time, Rachel reckoned he'd be coping fine. Little did she know…

Another emotion bubbling beneath the surface was anger. Eddie organised results day for Years Eleven and Thirteen, then deigned to appear. Rachel assumed he'd skipped it to avoid facing her; that made her sense of anger worse. She never imagined he'd become someone who couldn't separate his personal and professional lives. Rachel envisioned a long term ahead if she and Eddie couldn't sort their differences. To her, it wouldn't take long for one of them to throw in the towel. One of them would offer a letter of resignation when the pressure of maintaining the facade became too much.

Throughout the summer break, Rachel had done her level best to support Philip and shield him from her personal pain. She refused to let her nephew see how badly she was dealing with the breakup. Between that and the miscarriage, Rachel wasn't dealing with either situation effectively. She hadn't even visited baby Charlotte in the weeks since her birth. Philip had done so, Rachel dropped him off en route to results day for the AS and A-Level students and picked him up when she had finished. Rachel deemed this the best way to handle things; she had the desired distraction, and Philip got to see his baby sister. Afterwards, she didn't ask about the visit, and he didn't tell. Both had their reasons. Rachel stayed silent because she didn't wish to hear about the happy family unit she presumed Eddie and Melissa formed in the wake of Charlotte's arrival. Philip kept quiet because he knew Rachel would blame herself for things not being how she expected them to be.

As Philip entered the kitchen, he spotted Rachel at the breakfast bar, making annotations to a sheaf of papers in front of her. He presumed these to be the minutes for both the senior management meeting and staff briefing she'd head up before the first bell. The senior management meeting would be Rachel's first encounter with Eddie since the breakup. Philip knew without even asking that she'd be glad their first encounter wasn't in assembly, surrounded by kids. Hopefully, it would allow them the chance to solve their differences before kicking off the new school year. "Morning," Philip said, making Rachel aware of his presence.

A bright smile creased Rachel's face at her nephew's greeting as she glanced up from her papers, no longer finding them as interesting. "Morning!" she parroted back, "looking forward to being back?"

Rachel's line of questioning didn't surprise Philip; the school was her salvation. Her means of distraction from everything else going on. He shrugged, "other than being unsure about the jump from GCSEs to AS-Levels, fine."

Rachel's smile turned sympathetic; it was a concern she'd heard many times before. "I know it's perhaps easier said than done," Rachel started, "but try not to worry about it. From where I'm sitting, I see no reason for you to worry. You got the grades needed at GCSE so, as long as you keep on top of the work, use your free periods wisely, I doubt you'll have any problems."

When taken into account Rachel's two personas, Head Teacher and Auntie, Philip wasn't sure which one spoke loudest. He took her advice on the chin and changed the subject, "how are you feeling about today?"

"How do you mean?"

"About seeing Eddie."

As soon as the words left Philip's mouth, the smile died on Rachel's face. The look she gave him was no longer almost maternal. It seemed saddened, perhaps even haunted. "Please don't worry about me." She implored, "I've stared down the barrel of guns and tried to pull someone out of a burning building. I think I'm more than capable of facing my ex."

Philip remained unconvinced. He didn't dare mention that he'd promised to look after her and already felt like he was doing a rubbish job. Rachel, however, wasn't helping matters by fobbing him off at every turn, pretending to be OK when the evidence suggested otherwise. "I just worry about you, Rach."

Upon hearing the shortened moniker, an imperceptible chill engulfed her. She couldn't recall when Philip had begun calling her Rach as opposed to Rachel. Perhaps it was something he'd picked up from Eddie. There he was again, another undesired reminder of the past. However, she knew she'd cause offence by telling him to stop, so she had to ride it out. "Philip, you're sixteen." She stated, "these next two years will set you up for life. I'm not adding my problems to your list of burdens."

"What if I want your problems to become mine too?"

Those words were too familiar to Rachel. She remembered Eddie saying something similar before they even got together. Philip had no idea of the memories his words stirred up for Rachel. "I'm not burdening you with my problems," Rachel replied. Philip noticed a tone of finality in her voice. He recognised this to be her way of bringing the conversation to a swift conclusion. "Did you want a lift into school, or are you walking?" she questioned upon rising from her perch.

Philip shook his head as Rachel finished her morning coffee, "I'll be fine walking, but thanks."

She nodded, acknowledging his response, "if I don't see you before the first bell, have a good day."

Again, Philip nodded, "and you."

Rachel hoped for the same or even one without the typical chaos. However, this was Waterloo Road, disaster lurked around every corner.

An unmitigated disaster was how Rachel described the first senior management meeting of the academic year. It led her to write off the entire first day as a bust before the bell rang. She hoped they could be civil following the breakup, apparently not. To Rachel, it seemed like they'd regressed into a previous version of themselves. Like the last year and however long hadn't happened.

For the meeting's duration, Eddie only glanced her way when he had something negative to say. This resulted in him directing positive feedback to Kim, excluding Rachel from the dialogue. The Head of Pastoral didn't understand why relations between the pair had taken a dive. No matter, she made a mental note to find out before the staff briefing. With that knowledge, Kim hoped to use it to calm tensions. She didn't want the atmosphere between the Head and Deputy to set the tone for the academic year.

Once the meeting had wrapped, Kim took Rachel to one side, "tell me what's going on."

"Can't this wait?" Eddie interrupted, "we're meant to be briefing the staff."

Rachel glanced between the two before deciding, "no, it can't. Wait outside, Eddie, we'll be with you in two minutes."

His attitude towards Rachel's request bore all the hallmarks of the teenagers he taught day in, day out, but eventually, he complied.

Neither woman spoke until Rachel closed the office door and slid across the privacy glass. "No more stalling Rachel, tell me what's going on. That meeting was excruciating to partake in. Please do not make me play mediator again.

Rachel released a breath before settling herself on the corner sofa, Kim followed her lead. "God, Kim, it's a long story," she replied.

"I'll settle for a condensed version."

"Eddie and I separated during the summer break."

Of all the scenarios Kim had imagined during the meeting, that wasn't among them. "No way," she breathed, "what about your baby?"

Rachel blinked furiously as she attempted to keep the tears at bay, "I miscarried last month, we split up a week later. He didn't want the split, hence the attitude. I had hoped that the intervening weeks would burn out any resentment he had towards what I did, guess not."

"Oh, jeez, I'm so sorry, Rachel."

Words were meaningless, but Rachel appreciated the sentiment, "you haven't even heard the worst of it, Kim."

"There's more?"

A solemn nod greeted Kim's latest question, "are you free at all this morning?"

"After break."

"Good, I can talk to you about this, can't I?"

"God, Rachel, course. Pastoral Care isn't just limited to the students. If you're struggling and need a shoulder or a safe space to talk, I can offer that too."

"Thank you," Rachel responded, "we'd better go brief the staff," she added, returning to the task at hand.

Kim nodded, following Rachel's lead as she rose from the sofa. At that point, she didn't even want to think about the worst of Rachel's current situation; she'd reserve judgement until she had all the facts.

Having now dealt with start-of-term announcements and safeguarding notices, Rachel spoke about staffing changes.

"Finally, I'd like to welcome Rebekah McIntyre to the team. She joins us from a similarly challenging secondary in Durham to take over from Mr Crawford as Head of History. I'm sure my teachers and management team will do their best to make you feel welcome."

"Thank you so much but please, call me Reb, everyone else does," the brunette spoke up.

"Fair enough, Reb, welcome once again. I think that's it. Unless anyone else has any notices," Rachel said whilst casting a glance to her right, then her left.

"Actually, I've got something I want to say," Eddie responded as he stepped forward.

Rachel's stomach lurched as she thought about what Eddie might say. Only one thing made sense, and it was the one thing she didn't wish to share with her wider circle of colleagues. "Eddie," she hissed.

Eddie ignored her. "Before the rumour mill gets hold of this and you all draw your own conclusions, I would like to confirm that Rachel and I separated over the summer break."

The first bell sounded in the corridors, much to Rachel's relief. It meant she didn't have to answer awkward questions about the split, for the time being at least. She left the staff-room and retreated to her office, Kim followed moments later as she had a class to take. The rest of the staff left in dribs and drabs until only Tom and Eddie remained. "Jeez, mate, I didn't see that coming," Tom commented upon approaching.

Eddie rolled his eyes, "tell me about it."

"Do you want to talk?"

Eddie shook his head, "still trying to get my head around it."

Tom nodded, "you know where I am if you change your mind," he said, clapping a hand to Eddie's shoulder.

"Thanks, Tom," Eddie responded, giving him the first genuine smile of the day.

Sensing that the conversation was now at an end, Tom left, and Eddie followed soon afterwards.

With his animosity towards Rachel ruling over rational thought, Eddie got a savage amount of pleasure out of telling the staff about their split. Given how anxious Rachel was in the beginning to keep their relationship under wraps, he sensed she'd be the same about their breakup. Now, she had no option but to confront it as Eddie had announced it to the staff body. In that one maddening moment, he didn't care about any fall-out that would come because of his move. All he cared about was taking back control from Rachel in dictating when the staff found out. She'd given him no say in the breakdown of their relationship, so he offered the same regarding announcing the fact. It seemed petty, but that was the level he sat at.

Tit for tat.

It would be a long term if they maintained the current status quo.

"How are you settling in, Reb?" Steph questioned as she joined the newest recruit and Matt in the staff-room at break-time.

"Great, thanks. Some pupils are difficult, but that's where the challenge lies. I didn't sign up to just teach those who want to learn, I want to change lives."

Steph struggled to suppress a snort, an answer straight from the textbook if ever there was one. "Anyway," Matt said, intent on changing the subject, "you'll join us at the pub tonight for karaoke night, won't you?"

A gleeful expression crossed Reb's face, "do I get to choose my song?"

Matt and Steph shared a glance, "nope, it's part of the ritual. We choose," he invented.

Reb nodded, accepting the bizarre explanation, "if you give me the lowdown on Boss and Deputy Boss, I'm in."

Steph furrowed a brow in confusion, "why are you so interested?"

Reb shrugged, "I don't know the history, and after what happened at the end of today's briefing, I need catching up."

Steph delighted in having yet another person to bring up to speed. "Sit yourself down Reb, I've a lot of ground to cover and not a lot of time to do it."

The bell rang overhead to signal the end of break-time as Rachel trod the familiar path from her office to Kim's. Students raced in from outside as they tried to get to their lessons on time. Without Kim's distraction, she'd have ventured down the Maths corridor. To watch Eddie teach. Not a good idea. The breakup remained a sore subject, so for now, Rachel kept her distance. Only seeing him when duty demanded it.

As she knocked and waited for the call to come in, Rachel blew out a breath. Telling herself this was for the best, she entered upon Kim's instruction and prepared to admit the other woman into her inner circle.


	20. History Repeating?

_I cannot lie, wasn't expecting to be back here quite so soon with another chapter._

_Once again, thank you so much for all the reviews, I'm overwhelmed by the response this fic is getting._

_Now, a couple of you seem to think that things aren't what they should be between Eddie, Melissa and Charlotte. Shall we go and find out? Then afterwards, you can all do your worst..._

_Enjoy!_

_x_

* * *

**Chapter Twenty: History Repeating?**

"Rachel, answer me this," Eddie demanded as he burst into the office, not realising she had company, "sorry, didn't realise you were busy."

He glanced towards her company. Steph smirked at the unexpected intrusion and rose from her seat, "I'll leave you and Mr Lawson to it, we'll pick this up later," she insisted.

Rachel wanted to protest, but before she could, Steph took her leave, closing the door behind her. The atmosphere changed in an instant; Rachel and Eddie were alone for the first time since the breakup. Neither knew where to put themselves. Rachel recovered first as she watched Eddie move further into the office. She raised her eyebrows, "if you've something to say, Eddie, say it. I'd like to get home before the sun goes down, it's been a long day."

Eddie stuffed his hands into his pockets and shuffled from one foot to the other. Rachel didn't appreciate the air of teenage angst his demeanour exuded. He was a fully grown adult. She didn't understand it. Was this all because of the breakup?

"Rachel Mason finishing work early, there's a first," Eddie responded.

The sarcastic intonation in Eddie's voice got Rachel fired up, "what's that supposed to mean?"

"It means, Rach, you're a workaholic."

Even though Eddie was right, Rachel focussed on another aspect of his statement, "please don't call me that. You lost that right the moment we broke up."

Eddie sighed. This conversation suggested that working together after the breakup would prove to be more problematic than expected. "Is this what's become of us?"

Rachel ignored him. "It's a reasonable request, do it. And be grateful I didn't argue your point about being a workaholic."

"Nice, not denying it."

"I've been that way my entire career. Eddie, you accepted that when we got together, why are you now using it as a stick to beat me with? The job's always been rewarding and fulfilling, unlike most relationships."

Rachel's words stung, "and our relationship was neither of those things?"

She only realised how her previous statement must have sounded after Eddie uttered his response. So, she fell silent, not wanting to give him the wrong impression with her reply. "Our relationship was the exception, hence 'most relationships'. I don't want you to assume I wasn't happy with you, Eddie. I was… happier than I'd ever been."

"Then why end it?"

Rachel shook her head in disbelief, "we've been through this. For Charlotte. She deserves to be part of a loving family. Not a dysfunctional one where her Dad's dating her Aunt. Imagine the comments."

"I don't care what people think," Eddie said, firing up.

A sad smile crossed Rachel's face, "but I do." She paused. "Charlotte deserves the upbringing I never had and if giving you up guarantees that…"

Rachel left the sentence hanging, hoping Eddie would fill the gaps. She didn't want to finish the sentence. Didn't want to say out loud that choosing Charlotte on his behalf was for the best.

"I'm not here to discuss our spilt."

She quirked an eyebrow. "Really? What did you want to ask then?" Rachel questioned.

"I wanted to know why you never questioned why I was at Melissa's when she went into labour."

If Rachel had any preconceptions regarding what Eddie had wanted, his words superseded them. She hadn't expected that. "Why now? It's been four weeks, give or take."

"Didn't deem it appropriate to have this conversation over the phone. Wasn't sure you'd appreciate me turning up on your doorstep."

Rachel wondered why Eddie reckoned doing this now was better than doing it before school started back up again. "I didn't ask because Charlotte's birth took priority, she took me by surprise being however many weeks early." She paused, once again shoving down the guilt that sprung up from not knowing when Melissa had been due. "Why were you there?"

Eddie had played this conversation over so many times since the breakup. However, being with Rachel and having to answer the question was more difficult than expected. "Remember the conversation we had in the park that afternoon?" Eddie started. Rachel nodded but didn't interrupt, thus allowing him to continue. "When you said you'd think about reaching out to Melissa, I knew then that you wouldn't feel able to go through with it, which I understood. I went to see Melissa and persuade her to reach out to you. Should've known it was a bad idea as soon as the conversation started. She said some awful things about you, then got annoyed when I defended you. Her waters broke as I tried to leave, and I stayed to support her, nothing more."

A plethora of mixed emotions swirled within Rachel as she made sense of Eddie's admission. It shouldn't have surprised her, but it did, and she couldn't work out why. "It doesn't matter now anyway," she said upon regaining her composure. "Whilst I doubt I'll ever forgive Melissa for what she did, I have to put it to one side and move forward. Charlotte is the priority now."

"That's ridiculous, you're letting her get away with it."

"I'm not letting her do anything, I'm simply choosing to forget about her part in what happened and move on."

"Does that extend to our baby too?" Eddie questioned, "I guess now there is no 'us', our baby is another reminder you don't want."

The force with which Eddie slammed the office door shut upon storming out gave Rachel some idea of the fury pounding through him. Their relationship, working or otherwise, was far from satisfactory, that's what unsettled Rachel. How could she make things better now?

"Rachel promised to buy the first round, where is she?" Kim questioned upon joining Eddie at the bar.

"No idea, I'm not her keeper," Eddie snapped, taking Kim by surprise.

Kim sensed all was not well with the two senior members of the management team but vowed not to interfere. She and Eddie had got off on the wrong foot upon her return and never recovered from that. They were at a stalemate. However, her relationship with Rachel was poles apart. They'd forged an understanding that had grown into a friendship. Kim had listened as Rachel spoke about Melissa crashing back into her life, the miscarriage and Charlotte's birth. She'd offered her opinion when asked but remained unsure if Rachel was offloading because she needed help or wanted a friendly ear. Kim suspected the latter. Rachel wasn't someone who'd readily ask for help. "I'm taking it things still aren't great between you two?"

"Worse."

"Eddie, we've never seen eye-to-eye or even got on that great. Despite that, we have common ground in wanting what's best for Rachel. If I can help in any way…"

"Thanks, Kim," Eddie replied, "Tom's said as much himself. I'm still trying to get my head around it all, to be honest. Look, I'm sorry for snapping, I'll pay if Rachel doesn't show."

Kim nodded in acceptance, "the offer's there."

Eddie nodded as the barman approached to take his order. He ordered for the table, setting up a tab he hoped not to have to pay off.

Once all the staff had their drinks, they spilt into their various cliques, leaving Eddie on his lonesome. Tom swerved the drinks, opting to have a night in with the nappies to give Chlo and Donte a break. Reb entered the pub and made an immediate beeline for Eddie upon seeing him alone. "Sorry, Reb," he apologised, "wasn't sure what you drunk so didn't order for you."

Reb waved him away, "it's fine, I'll just order. I need a drink."

A slight smile crossed Eddie's face as Reb walked away. She returned a few minutes later, carrying a glass of what looked like red wine. The similarities between her and Rachel regarding their poison startled Eddie. However, it was a thought he soon banished from his mind. After how their conversation had transpired earlier, he didn't wish to dwell upon how badly his relationship with Rachel had deteriorated. Reb broke the silence, "tell me to sod off if you like, just thought you might like some company."

"You're fine, company would be good."

"What is up? You're brooding."

Eddie did not immediately answer Reb's question as he wondered whether opening up was a good idea. He wondered whether Rachel had done similar with Kim, resulting in her earlier words of support. "I can talk to you, can't I?" he questioned, "I mean, you won't go sharing anything I say from here with the rest of the staff?"

"Course. I don't betray a confidence, if it's not something to share, I'll keep schtum," Reb replied before miming zipping her lips.

"What's your understanding of mine and Rachel's history?"

"All I know is what you said during the briefing and Steph's summation at break."

Eddie rolled his eyes, "I can imagine her version."

Eddie told Reb their story. Leaving out nothing as he filled her in. Matt interrupted as Eddie explained how Rachel came to miscarry their child. "I'm interrupting something cosy here," he noted, "Reb, you're first up on the karaoke."

"Oh great, didn't want to hear that," she muttered as Matt wandered towards the stage to pick her song.

She shot up from her seat, returning to the table with two shots. "Erm, why the shots?" Eddie queried.

Reb didn't answer until she'd downed them both, one after the other. "Can I tell you a secret?"

"Sure."

"I haven't sung in public since I was sixteen."

"Oh, Steph and Matt's tradition will fall flat then."

"Eh?"

"They've traditionally called up the new recruits first on the karaoke for the last couple of years, it's their way of making themselves sound better."

"What did you sing when you were the newbie?"

"I escaped. Matt spent most of his first day of term stuck on a runway."

Reb laughed out loud, "I assure you, they've got one Hell of a shock coming." She paused. "This conversation isn't over, we will pick this up again once I've shaken them off."

Eddie nodded, taking a sip from his pint glass as Reb rose from her seat. Matt soon introduced her, and the opening bars of Patsy Cline's Crazy sounded through the speakers. By the end, Steph and Matt conceded defeat. A newbie who could sing, at last. "Another slot later, Reb? Promise you can choose your song this time."

"Nah, you're alright," Reb replied, brushing him off before returning to Eddie.

"I can't remember the last time I saw Steph lost for words, I'll savour that," he complimented her.

Reb flushed, "now, where were we before Matt interrupted?" she questioned, picking up their previous conversation where they'd left off.

"The miscarriage," Eddie replied. Reb listened as he continued to fill her in, bringing it to a close with the birth of baby Charlotte. "She was full-term, not early as Melissa claimed when her waters broke."

"Meaning what?"

"Meaning, I don't think she's my daughter."

At that moment, Rachel walked in. She glanced around as if searching for someone. As her gaze settled upon him, her stomach lurched as she noted how close he and Reb were. Heads close together as if sharing an intimate moment. If only Rachel knew. Steph saw her hover in the doorway before turning to walk straight back out. As soon as she'd gone, Steph leapt into action, sweeping across the pub to strike Eddie across the shoulder. "Hope you're both pleased with yourselves," she snapped.

Both parties were indignant, "what have we done?" Eddie questioned whilst holding onto his shoulder.

"Rachel was here, she saw you two and walked straight back out."

"She's got the wrong end of the stick, we were just talking," Reb said.

"Rachel didn't see it that way, nor did I."

"You see what you want to see, Steph," Eddie said.

"I hope you know what you're doing, disregarding her feelings like that," Steph replied before returning to the table she shared with Matt and Grantly.

Silence fell. "Do you reckon everyone thinks that?" Reb questioned, casting a wary gaze over her colleagues.

"Ignore her Reb, she won't remember she said half of that in the morning."

"And if she does?"

"Let her draw her own conclusions, we know the truth."

Reb breathed a sigh of relief, reassured by his words, "you need to do something about your suspicions, Eddie."

"Not sure what I can do."

"Talk to Melissa and if she's still evasive, then tell her you want a paternity test. Then, you'll know for certain whether Charlotte is your daughter and whether all this could was avoidable."

Reb's words stirred something within Eddie, "I'll think about it."

Satisfied with the answer given, Reb nodded, thus bringing the conversation to a close.

"Perhaps we should think about calling it a night," Reb muttered to Eddie hours later.

The two of them were the last ones standing, Grantly and Matt had taken their leave an hour beforehand, wanting to ensure Steph got home in one piece. Kim and Jasmine bailed an hour after arriving. "Must we?" Eddie questioned.

Reb nodded, he'd had too much to drink, and she wanted to ensure he got home safe, "we can share a cab home, where are you in relation to me?"

"Bunking down in the spare room at my ex-wife's, gave my flat up when I moved in with Rachel, so that's a no-go.

"And I'm guessing you don't want her to see you like this?"

"Or Michael."

"Michael?"

"My son," Eddie elaborated.

Reb fell silent, giving Eddie's arrangements for that night some thought, "I've got a spare room, you can stop there for the night if you like."

"I don't want to put you to any bother."

"It's no bother, I'll just have to throw some bedding on, but that won't take long."

"Thanks," Eddie said, throwing a grateful smile in Reb's direction, "can I tell you something, Reb?"

"What?"

"You've got beautiful eyes."

"Eddie." She paused. "Don't even go there."

"Why not?" Eddie questioned as he inched closer.

Reb tried to wriggle away, but it came too late, he'd already made a move…

* * *

_I think I'll go hide a bulletproof bunker to hide in until I'm ready to post the next chapter..._

_x_


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